"We’ll have to see" - Graham Potter provides Chelsea team news and injury update ahead of Nottingham Forest clash
Graham Potter has confirmed Mateo Kovacic and Hakim Ziyech are back for Chelsea's away Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest on January 1. However, the Blues will once again be without Edouard Mendy, while Reece James, Wesley Fofana, and N'Golo Kante remain on the sidelines.
Chelsea welcomed back James in the previous match, but he went off injured in the second half. The right-back is now expected to remain on the sidelines and be back by the end of January.
Kovacic and Ziyech were involved in the FIFA World Cup third-place match earlier this month and were given a few more days off by the club. The duo are now back in training and will be in the squad to face Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
Graham Potter on Mateo Kovacic and Hakim Ziyech:
"Both of those guys will be back. [Edouard] Mendy we're not sure, we’ll see how he is over the next few days. He has a problem with a bone that he picked up at the World Cup and needed a little bit of time."
[via @ChelseaFC]
Potter has also confirmed that Mendy will also be sitting out once again as he has an issue with his shoulder. The Senegalese goalkeeper reportedly injured himself during the FIFA World Cup and needs more time to recover.
The Chelsea manager said in a press conference on Friday:
"Both of those guys will be back. Mendy we are not sure, we'll have to see in the next few days. He has a problem with his bone [around his shoulder] that he picked up at the World Cup. He may still need a bit of time."
Chelsea have 'bad luck' with injuries, claims Potter
Reece James is not the only Chelsea player to get injured soon after returning from a previous injury. Wesley Fofana was injured in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Brentford earlier this month.
The Frenchman was making a comeback after a knee injury but is now out for another month.
His countryman N'Golo Kante suffered a similar fate as he too was injured in a training session after returning from an injury. He is now expected to be a part of the first team only in early March.
Graham Potter on injuries:
"There is a little bit of bad luck but I don’t think you should throw it to something you can’t do anything about. There is an element of luck, of course, but then there are other things that happen."
[via @AdamNewson]
Speaking on the injury list, Potter said:
"There is a little bit of bad luck but I don't think you should throw it to something you can't do anything about. There is an element of luck, of course, but then there are other things that happen. But that is for us to try to learn from and get better with. Again, it's been a challenging season and I don't know how pre-season was because I wasn't here. I can't comment on that."
He added:
"Sometimes you have these situations; Liverpool had one earlier in the season. So it can happen, especially when you are playing so many games in a short space of time. But without knowing the full extent of pre-season, it's hard for me to comment."
Chelsea returned to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over Bournemouth earlier this week. The Blues made a good comeback after failing to win any of their last five matches in the Premier League before the World Cup break.