Chelsea can have Mateo Kovacic and Hakim Ziyech again of their squad for his or her New Yr’s Day journey to Nottingham Forest after each returned to coaching following the World Cup.
Each got further time to get better after their international locations — Croatia and Morocco — reached the semi-finals and contested the third and fourth place playoff match. The duo weren’t out there for Chelsea’s Premier League win in opposition to Bournemouth on Tuesday, however supervisor Graham Potter confirmed they’re prepared for the journey to struggling Forest.
“Each of these guys will probably be again,” Potter mentioned, though he confirmed that keeper Edouard Mendy is a doubt due to an damage picked up enjoying for Senegal on the World Cup.
“We’ll see how he’s over the following few days. He has an issue with a bone that he picked up on the World Cup and wanted somewhat little bit of time,” Potter mentioned.
Chelsea have been dealt a contemporary blow when full again Reece James was injured in opposition to Bournemouth and Potter admits the toll of accidents on his squad, and the truth that so many gamers have been in Qatar, has been robust to deal with.
“The (World Cup) break hasn’t been a constructive one for us,” Potter mentioned. “I may have made numerous excuses if the Bournemouth outcome hadn’t gone our approach as a result of we had 4 gamers for the primary two weeks after which them dripping again in.
“The break that you simply assume you need to work with the crew, it’s not there since you haven’t received the gamers,” he mentioned.
“However you may’t make these excuses, you’ve simply received to win and we did in opposition to Bournemouth in order that was good.”
Chelsea are eighth within the desk and have floor to make up if they’re to hitch the battle for a top-four end and Potter is conscious that accidents can’t be used as an excuse.
“It’s been an actual robust interval, as difficult because it has been in my time as a coach, however we’re at Chelsea and folks don’t wish to hear these causes or excuses,” he mentioned.
“You’ve received to get on with it, and we’ve received to attempt our greatest to search out the solutions.”
N’Golo Kante and Armando Broja stay out for Chelsea with long-term accidents whereas James can also be unavailable once more.