Chelsea get critical five player injury update with fresh double blow after Romeo Lavia worry
Chelsea's injury issues continue to get worse despite the break from club football. Heading into the fortnight off for Mauricio Pochettino from competitive action there were already a growing list of problems for him to manage and it appears that they have gotten worse immediately.
Such is Pochettino's position before the international window, he was already working without nine first team players in the opening period of the season. After taking just four points from the opening four games, pressure on him has mounted due to expectations raising following yet another mammoth transfer spend.
Things aren't set to get any easier for the Argentine either with no current hope of seeing star player Christopher Nkunku return until December. He is one of seven yet to get their first minutes under his watch after a list of injury issues overlapped from last season.
Marcus Bettinelli remains out whilst Wesley Fofana, who got one week of pre-season before another damaging knee injury, is likely to miss most of the season. Trevoh Chalobah has struggled for fitness since the tour of America and was also expected to leave the club on deadline day but must now get back to work on having an impact for the team.
Benoit Badiashile and Armando Broja are both targeting returns after the international break but haven't been able to force themselves into Pochettino's thinking yet. Club captain Reece James is hopeful of a return as well but has once again been forced to sit out a considerable period after a reoccurrence of hamstring problems that hampered his 2022/23 campaign.
This is already a sizeable chunk of the squad, and a key set of players, missing for Pochettino, but things haven't gotten any easier. Carney Chukwuemeka was taken off
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