Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has revealed that Levi Colwill and Christopher Nkunku could make the matchday squad for the London derby against West Ham on Sunday.

The two players are back in full training and, when asked if they could be available for the Hammers clash, Pochettino replied:

“They were training. Today, normally, we prepare the game for tomorrow. We did some set-pieces, tactical work, and meetings. They are nearly there. They are on the line, but they don’t cross the line. We hope they will cross the line for West Ham on Sunday.”

“We hope. But still, we need to wait until tomorrow, Friday and Saturday to see if they can cope with the competition. What it means on the website is that they are close and they are nearly capable.”

Neither player is expected to start against West Ham

Nkunku hasn’t played since the Carabao Cup final in late February due to a hamstring problem so there is no chance that he will be fit enough for the starting lineup.

The same goes for Levi Colwill. The defender has taken longer than expected to recover from a toe injury that has kept him sidelined since the 2-2 draw against Brentford, which is exactly two months ago.

Chelsea still have a lengthy injury list

Even with Colwill and Nkunku back in the fold, Pochettino is having to cope with a threadbare squad. Alfie Gilchrist started the 2-0 win over Tottenham on Thursday evening; it was only the defender’s second Premier League start.

The bench was also full of other academy players due to injuries, with 17-year-old Josh Acheampong being handed his senior debut as a substitute. 12 members of the first-team squad are still in the treatment room or working their way back to full fitness. It doesn’t give Pochettino many options to freshen things up for the West Ham fixture this weekend.