Potter gives update on Chelsea injured players

Chelsea are currently in Abu Dhabi for training ahead of the start of the season.

The Blues left with a 25-man squad which included players who were on injury before the ongoing World Cup in Qatar started.

Injured players Ben Chilwell, Reece James and Wesley Fofana also joined the training.

The Blues manager Graham Potter started with an update on James and Fofana.

‘Reece is not quite fully training but he’s integrating into training along with Wesley,’ Potter said via Chelsea website. ‘Wesley is a little bit further behind but not too far.’

Fofana has been sidelined since October while James came off in the Blues’ victory at the San Siro a week later and was subsequently forced to miss the World Cup with a knee injury, as was Chilwell after tearing his hamstring against Dinamo Zagreb.

‘Ben has come back from his individual work in Dubai and he’s now working closer with the guys but still not team training,’ Potter said.

‘N’Golo is a little bit further away but again he’s progressing well,’ added the head coach.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek is another who has been absent in recent weeks after sustaining a calf injury in the Blues’ final game before the World Cup against Newcastle United, while Kepa Arrizabalaga’s layoff has been a fortnight longer.

‘Kepa is not quite with the team yet but has stepped up his rehab,’ added Graham. ‘Ruben is doing some work in the gym so we’re hopeful that he can be involved next week but we’ll see how he goes.

‘There are lots of players at different levels and that’s the challenge but we’re making progress so that’s the positive.’