Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino provides fitness update on Reece James and Armando Broja ahead of Tottenham fixture
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has provided optimistic updates on the fitness of club captain Reece James and striker Armando Broja.
Pochettino's comments came during his pre-match press conference ahead of his side's visit to Tottenham Hotspur. The two teams will clash in a Premier League encounter on Monday, November 6.
James, 23, featured in the Blues' league opener against Liverpool in August, but suffered a hamstring injury which forced him to be substituted in the 76th minute. He returned on October 21, playing six minutes in a 2-2 draw with Arsenal before getting 23 minutes off the bench in their 2-0 defeat to Brentford last weekend.
James also encouragingly played 61 minutes in Chelsea's 2-0 win over Blackburn Rovers in the EFL Cup fourth round on Wednesday, November 1.
Broja, meanwhile, missed the start of the campaign due to an ACL injury he suffered last season. The forward got his first league minutes in a 1-0 loss to Aston Villa on September 24 before starting and scoring in a 2-0 win away to Fulham the following week.
He also played 45 minutes in their next game against Burnley, but has missed their last three matches across competitions with a rumored knee problem.
Speaking on Friday, November 3, Pochettino first provided an update on James after being asked if the latter would play 90 minutes on Monday. He said (as quoted by football.london):
"I don't know. We'll see. We'll see if he's available. It was good for him to start a game after a few months, he's a very important player."
The Argentine tactician then added that Broja could make the substitutes list for the game against Spurs:
"Today we were talking and maybe he will be available to be on the bench for Monday. Hope he can be involved."
The Albanian, who was notably a part of Tottenham's youth set-up before moving to Chelsea's, has played only 23 games for the first team since breaking into it in 2022. In that time, he has scored twice and assisted once.
James, meanwhile, has consistently struggled with injuries since making it into the Blues' first team in 2019. He has dealt with issues to his ankle, hamstring, thigh and knee, which has seen him make just 151 appearances across competitions in over four years.
The Englishman has recorded 11 goals and 20 assists in those games.
Chelsea will be without multiple players vs Spurs despite positive updates on Reece James and Armando Broja
Mauricio Pochettino's update on Reece James and Armando Broja should excite Chelsea fans. James is unarguably the best right-back in his side's squad, while Broja is one of the few centre-forward options Pochettino has at his disposal.
However, there are still plenty of injury concerns at Stamford Bridge ahead of their Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur.
Centre-back Wesley Fofana is a long-term absentee after suffering an ACL injury prior to their pre-season tour to the USA. The timeline for his return remains unknown.
Summer arrival Christopher Nkunku, who impressed during pre-season, is currently out with a knee injury as well. There is optimism, however, that he could make his official Chelsea debut in the coming weeks.
Trevoh Chalobah is also expected to miss Monday's game with a thigh problem, as is second captain Ben Chilwell, who is nursing a hamstring injury. Mykhaylo Mudryk is also a doubt for the match due to a minor muscle strain, though Pochettino indicated (via The Standard) that he could feature against Spurs.