3 Chelsea stars in line to make injury return for Premier League clash against Bournemouth: Reports
Chelsea defenders Reece James and Wesley Fofana are among three stars who are reportedly in line to return from their respective injuries in the Blues' upcoming Premier League clash against Bournemouth.
James, 23, has been out of action since sustaining a knee injury during a 2-0 away win at AC Milan in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League on October 11. He has netted two goals and laid out as many assists in 11 overall appearances in the ongoing 2022-23 season.
Fofana, on the other hand, had an unfortunate start to his chapter at Stamford Bridge after injuring his knee during a 3-0 home win against the Rossoneri just six days before James' injury. Since arriving from Leicester City for £75 million earlier this summer, Fofana has scored one goal in six games across all competitions.
Take it away, @Wesley_Fofanaa! 🤗 https://t.co/7vpKvayXz8
As per The Athletic, James, Fofana and Carney Chukwuemeka are set to be back available for Chelsea's home Premier League game against Bournemouth on Tuesday (27 December). Ben Chilwell has also taken a step closer to making a return from a hamstring injury.
Blues manager Graham Potter has been handed an additional injury headache during the 2022 FIFA World Cup-induced break. Armando Broja is set to miss the rest of the campaign after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament during a 1-0 friendly defeat against Aston Villa in Abu Dhabi, UAE, earlier this month.
Chelsea are currently eighth in the Premier League standings with 21 points from 14 games. With the return of first-team regulars like James and Fofana, the west London outfit is expected to resume their quest of finishing in a UEFA Champions League spot in full swing.
it’s been a while but back like we never left! 💯 https://t.co/8v2IjJ0DIW
Chelsea's Armando Broja could be out for over six months, says medical expert
Speaking to Football Insider, medical expert Ben Dinnery shed light on Armando Broja's timeline of returning from injury. He said:
"From what we know, we're talking about a lengthy recovery. The reason I'm loathed to say one way or the other is that we do have exceptions to the rule. We've seen successful returns to play in around 100 days. Those players returning in that four to six-month period are very much the rarity."
Sharing his thoughts on the Albanian, Dinnery added:
"Although Chelsea aren't blessed with a lot of attacking options, they'll certainly consider his long-term career when managing his return. We saw that with Chilwell and he was nowhere near those pre-injury levels before picking up the latest hamstring problem."
Broja, 21, has scored one goal and contributed one assist in 465 minutes of action, spread across 18 appearances this campaign.