Mauricio Pochettino has suggested that he has been left encouraged by the recent progress of Christopher Nkunku, Romeo Lavia and Wesley Fofana from their respective injuries.
None of the Chelsea trio have played a single minute of competitive football during 2023-24 courtesy of knee, ankle and knee injuries respectively.
Nkunku was ruled out for approximately four months when he suffered his issue against Borussia Dortmund in a pre-season friendly, while Lavia sustained an ankle ligament problem during training in September.
Meanwhile, Fofana suffered yet another serious knee injury in the summer, with the initial expectation being that he could be absent for the entire season.
All three players remain out of contention for Saturday's Premier League fixture at Newcastle United, while Fofana remains out in the long term.
© Reuters
However, Nkunku and Lavia have recently spent a period on the training pitch and are seemingly in contention to return during the early weeks in December, while Fofana made a surprise appearance on the grass on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference, initially about Nkunku and Lavia, Pochettino said: "It is difficult to say because we need to assess them day by day.
"They are in a good condition because - Nkunku a little bit ahead of Lavia - they are doing things with the group, but they are still not fully recovered to be part of the squad.
On Fofana, Pochettino added: "It was nice to see him run on the grass. For him, it is a massive motivation to be there, and for us also to see him after a long time off the pitch.
© Reuters
Pochettino started his press conference by suggesting that all of the players that had been away from international duty had returned without any injuries.
The Argentine also confirmed that Levi Colwill was back in contention after missing the game with Manchester City and England's recent double header with a shoulder problem.
Malo Gusto has also been dealing with a knee issue, but the French defender is expected to be selected among the replacements for the fixture at St James' Park.
Chelsea have also confirmed that Trevoh Chalobah and Carney Chukwuemeka continue to undergo their own rehabilitation programme as they bid to recover from respective hamstring and knee injuries.
Darren Plant
