Noni Madueke, Reece James – Chelsea injury news and return date ahead of Brighton Cup match
Chelsea still have some injury concerns despite Mauricio Pochettino giving Armando Broja his first minute in more than nine months.
The Albanian striker suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in December and after a lengthy recovery period, he was brought on with 11 minutes remaining in a 1-0 loss to Aston Villa.
Moises Caicedo is also back after missing the clash with Bournemouth despite only having one training session before the match.
The two names that just came out of the treatment room are a big boost for Pochettino and Chelsea, but some stars are still absent.
Romeo Lavia, Christopher Nkunku and Reece James are the main names absent, although the latter recently made an injury announcement as he continues his recovery.
The return of the club captain will be vital for the Blues as they prepare for a tough next few months with games against Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester City coming up, but first, the fixture in The Carabao Cup against Brighton will take place on Wednesday evening.
That said, football.london has compiled the latest injury news at Stamford Bridge ahead of Chelsea’s match hosting the Seagulls in west London.
Noni Madueke
Noni Madueke has been left out of Pochettino’s squad at Aston Villa as he continues to fully recover from a minor injury suffered while on international duty.
However, the problem did not appear to be serious as the England winger took part in Chelsea’s light recovery session at Cobham on Monday.
Expected return date:
Brighton (H) – Wednesday 27 Septembe
James Reece
Still recovering from a hamstring injury he suffered in training, James updated his supporters with a message on Instagram that he would be “back soon.
” He was also spotted at Stamford Bridge for the match against Luton, along with Todd Boehly, John Terry and Lavia.
The right-back is increasingly expected to return in the coming weeks, after posting a photo of himself in training gear with the caption:
“I will be back soon.
“ Fueling talk of a comeback, last weekend on Instagram he posted a story with the caption “Happy Sunday p.s I’ll be back soon.
“
What Pochettino said:
“He is recovering well.
I don’t know if he is close or not because we are evaluating him every day but he has started doing everything on the field with the ball.
He is doing very well.
He longed to play for the team.
Yeah,
Noni Madueke
Noni Madueke was left out of the squad against Bournemouth due to a muscle problem – an issue he suffered while playing for England Under-21s during the international break.
He returned to training with Chelsea on Tuesday.
What Pochettino said:
“Noni also participates in training during the week.
Expected return date:
Fulham (A) – Monday 2 October
Marc Cucurella
Cucurella missed the draw with Bournemouth due to illness.
The Spain international returned to training with Chelsea on Tuesday before being named on the call-up list for the match against Villa.
What Pochettino said:
“Marc had a fever and came back when we started training again.
”
Expected return date:
Income.
Carney Chukwuemeka
Chukwuemeka was the sole scorer in his team’s 3-1 loss to West Ham, but a knee injury just before half-time forced him to leave the London Stadium on crutches.
football.london understands Chukwuemeka will be out of action for six weeks.
However, a faster return could be considered.
On Instagram, a story by Noni Madueke showed Chukwuemeka returning in full training gear and leaving the field after the player hinted that he was close to recovery.
What Pochettino said:
“I think this is not a problem that can take months or even weeks.
I hope we can reunite with the team as soon as possible.
He scored and then got injured.
Things happen that you can’t handle.
“There was a bit of bad luck but I think he can get stronger because he feels the need to work and compete, he is young and for sure he will be much better when we start again.
He told Aston Villa:
“He [Badiashile] is training with Reece James.
I think Reece, Chukwuemeka and Chalobah are about to start training with the team.
“
Expected return date:
October
Romeo Lavia
Lavia has not yet played for Chelsea, and Pochettino wants him to catch up with the team’s fitness before joining.
The Belgian midfielder is believed to have torn an ankle muscle during the international break, which could further delay his debut with the Blues
football.london understands that the ankle injury is expected to keep Lavia out of action for at least a month, meaning he could be out of action until at least October.
What Pochettino said:
“We are really disappointed because he trained very well last week during the international break.
He sprained his ankle and now we are waiting for the doctor’s results on Monday.
We hope Hopefully it’s not a big deal but last week he didn’t practice with the team.team.
“It was a sad situation because he was almost fit to return to the team.
Well, now we have to wait and I hope it’s not a big problem for him and the team.
“We don’t know [when he will return] because we have to evaluate him.
He sprained his ankle and now we have to evaluate him.
We don’t know when he will recover.
Expected return date:
Do not have
Trevoh Chalobah
chas not yet played this season and is also expected to leave in the transfer window.
The defender has had physical problems since pre-season.
During Chelsea’s pre-season tour of the US, he frequently fell twice during matches and had to leave the field each time.
He has also not been seen in training since and no updates have been given since then, other than the club’s weekly general statement.
What Pochettino said:
“He [Benoit Badiashile] is training with Reece James.
I think Reece, Chukwuemeka and Chalobah are about to start training with the team.
”
Expected return date:
Fulham (A) – Monday 2 October
Christophe Nkunku
Nkunku has been sidelined since being substituted against Borussia Dortmund in the club’s final pre-season match.
Dealing a heavy blow to the Blues squad after arriving for more than £60m in the summer, Pochettino admitted he will miss him in the first half of the season.
What Pochettino said:
“We’re really sorry for him.
He played well, he’s a very important player for us.
I think the quality is there, one of the best attacking players that can play Being in many different positions is always a big problem for us.
Now it’s important not to think too much about the injury and be positive about when he can be with us again and recover as quickly as possible in a good way.
“We are also studying the market, we will lack a player like this.
The club is working, trying to find a solution, be it in the short, medium and long term, to add the right profile to the team.
moment.
“.
What Nkunku said
“As you can imagine, I was very disappointed not to be able to be with my teammates from the beginning of the season.
It’s hard not to see you guys at the Bridge.
I will try my best to come back stronger.
It’s just a matter of time.
“
Fofana is ready for another crucial period on the sidelines after tearing his ACL.
What Pochettino said:
“It’s really sad, very bad news.
We feel very sad.
We can only help him and be with the team again, we know it’s very difficult.
We have to help him and wish him all the best.
We have to keep going, the competition is still there.
Competition waits for no one and you must be ready.
“I hope so.
You have all the information that it’s been difficult.
He’s progressing in a different way but I hope his recovery is going very well.
”
Fofana is ready for another crucial period on the sidelines after tearing his ACL.
What Pochettino said:
“It’s really sad, very bad news.
We feel very sad.
We can only help him and be with the team again, we know it’s very difficult.
We have to help him and wish him all the best.
We have to keep going, the competition is still there.
Competition waits for no one and you must be ready
“I hope so.
You have all the information that it’s been difficult.
He’s progressing in a different way but I hope his recovery is going very wel