Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed that Robert Sanchez could be sidelined for up to six weeks with a knee injury.

Pochettino says the club are having to assess his fitness “day by day” and they will have to wait and see how he responds to treatment.

Sanchez had to be taken off in the closing stages of the 2-0 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park earlier this month and it now appears that he may not be back before the winter break in January.

Marc Cucurella has provided an update on his fitness after undergoing an operation on his ankle. The defender is expected to be on the treatment table for the next three months.

Romeo Lavia (ankle) has been pictured back out on the pitch at Cobham this week. However, the club’s medical report says he has only returned to “partial team training”, meaning he won’t be available for the Carabao Cup tie against Newcastle.

Updates on the fitness of 7 other Chelsea players

There is better news on Noni Madueke’s fitness. The winger is available for selection again, having missed the last three matches versus Manchester United, Everton and Sheffield United with a knock.

However, Lesley Ugochukwu remains on the sidelines. The midfielder has also missed the previous three fixtures, but he is still undergoing treatment on an undisclosed injury.

Ben Chilwell is progressing in his rehabilitation on his hamstring after picking up the issue against Brighton in the Carabao Cup at the end of September. Carney Chukwuemeka, meanwhile, has not been seen in action since picking up a knee injury against West Ham back in August. It is believed that the midfielder’s recovery has not been a smooth one and his rehab is ongoing.

Like Chukwuemeka, Trevoh Chalobah suffered a setback on his return from a hamstring problem, with his comeback now pencilled in for February. Captain Reece James (hamstring) and Wesley Fofana (ACL) are long-term absentees.