Liam Rosenior has shared the latest injury update ahead of Chelsea’s FA Cup quarter-final clash with Port Vale on Saturday.
The two-time European champions welcome the League One side to Stamford Bridge, hoping for a win to end a poor run of four straight defeats across all competitions and secure a place in the semi-finals.
However, Chelsea are still dealing with several injury setbacks and are expected to be without the trio of Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah and Levi Colwill for the encounter.
Club captain James has been sidelined since picking up a hamstring injury last month, marking his latest in a long list of setbacks at the club.
He has missed the Blues’ last two matches and remains unavailable, although his recovery is said to be progressing well.
“Reece is getting along really well but he’s not ready yet”, Rosenior said during his pre-match press conference in quotes on the official Chelsea website.
Chalobah is also out, with a few more weeks needed for his recovery. The England defender suffered an ankle injury after a challenge with Achraf Hakimi during Chelsea’s 3-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 second leg encounter last month.
Initial concerns suggested a long-term issue, but he is now expected back before the end of the season.
Meanwhile, Colwill continues his rehabilitation from an ACL injury sustained during pre-season. The 23-year-old has not played this campaign but has returned to training and could return before the season concludes.
“Trevoh is progressing really, really well as well, and it’s great to have Levi [Colwill] back in full training, but it’s going to take him a few more weeks to tick those boxes before he’s ready [to feature].”
The Blues will also be without vice-captain Enzo Fernandez, who will miss the game after being ruled out for two matches as a punishment by the club for recent comments about his future.
On a more positive note, Chelsea have received a boost with wingers Estevao, Willian, and Jamie Gittens both declared fit.
Estevao recently returned from a hamstring injury in the disappointing 3-0 defeat to Everton in their last outing, marking his first appearance in a month and will be hoping for a starting role in this encounter.
Gittens is also back in the squad after recovering from his own hamstring issue. The winger, who joined from Borussia Dortmund last summer, has missed the last 13 matches across all competitions since picking up the injury in a win over West Ham United in January.
“Elsewhere, we have pretty much a fresh group to work with. Best of all, Estevao [is fit], Jamie Gittens is back, and that’s really positive in terms of going into the run-in [of the end of the season]”, Rosenior added.
Despite their recent form, Chelsea head into the fixture as strong favourites and will be eager to return to winning ways, while booking a second FA Cup semi-final appearance in three seasons.
