Chelsea are able to field an entire line-up of injured players so strong it would likely challenge for one of the European places.
The Blues are currently down in 12th place after a difficult start to Mauricio Pochettino’s tenure. Fans would have been forgiven for expecting a major improvement from last season’s dismal showing, having spent around £400million on 11 players this summer.
But the west Londoners have instead suffered from an injury nightmare, having had players struck down as soon as the season got underway. French duo Benoit Badiashile and Christopher Nkunku were ruled out before even kicking a ball, while summer arrival Romeo Lavia is yet to play a minute of football for the side.
Mykhaylo Mudryk was taken off during Ukraine’s draw with England on Saturday – and Moises Caicedo is the latest player to become a doubt. And so Daily Star Sport will now take a look at the talented array of stars currently filling the Cobham treatment room.
READ MORE: Mykhailo Mudryk labelled 'Ukrainian Adama Traore' as £88m Chelsea flop useless vs England
Marcus Bettinelli
The 31-year-old has been injured since April. It is unknown what has caused the third-choice goalkeeper to be out of action for such a long time, though he is said to be continuing with his rehab programme.
Reece James
No sooner had James been appointed Chelsea’s new club captain that he picked up an injury in their Premier League opener against Liverpool. James, despite being one of the Blues’ standout players, has been riddled with injury throughout his career.
The right-back recently delivered a promising update, however, claiming he would be “back to it soon” on Instagram.
Trevoh Chalobah
Another academy graduate spending time in the treatment room is Chalobah. The versatile defender’s hamstring injury means he is “continuing to undergo rehabilitation programmes”.
Wesley Fofana
Fofana’s rotten luck with injuries continued when he picked up an ACL injury in pre-season. The 22-year-old Frenchman underwent ACL reconstruction surgery but is unlikely to feature at all this season.
The £75m central defender has suffered from knee problems throughout his career but with increasing regularity since breaking his leg in August 2021 during a pre-season game for Leicester.
Benoit Badiashile
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The central-defender is back in training but won’t be rushed back to the starting line-up as he looks to reach fitness.
Badiashile sustained a hamstring injury in May which added to his devastating run of injuries, having made just 11 league appearances since his transfer last summer.
Romeo Lavia
Chelsea’s £58m midfielder is yet to play for his new side since leaving Southampton. He may have to wait a while longer as reports emerged on Monday of the 19-year-old set to miss at least six weeks due to an ankle injury he suffered in training last week.
Lavia went over on his ankle during a session on Thursday, with scans indicating he suffered some ligament damage.
Moises Caicedo
Midfielder Caicedo has been spotted wearing support for his knee during training with Ecuador over the international break, according to football.London.
The 21-year-old, who has featured for the Blues three times since his British record transfer move, was involved in several meaty challenges against Argentina. It is uncertain whether he will feature in Ecuador's next fixture.
Carney Chukwuemeka
The young midfielder was just starting to stamp his claim in the side when he picked up a knee injury, shortly after scoring his first goal against West Ham in August. He has since undergone surgery and is expected to return in early October.
Mykhaylo Mudryk
The £88.5m winger hasn’t exactly hit the ground running since his January move but his absence is the last thing Pochettino would have wanted. The 22-year-old pulled up late in the game against England and signalled to be withdrawn.
There may yet be hope that Mudryk will be back in time for Sunday’s game against Bournemouth, having already been seen training with Ukraine.
Christopher Nkunku
Another Frenchman cursed by injuries, Nkunku was ruled out of the World Cup and much of last season with an ACL injury, just after agreeing a deal to join Chelsea at the end of the campaign.
The 20-year-old picked up another knee problem before the start of the current season. He is still recovering from knee surgery.
Armando Broja
Leading the front-line in Chelsea’s injury-hit XI is Armando Broja. The 22-year-old is another player struck by a dreaded ACL injury, which he suffered in a friendly back in December 2022.
Broja is currently believed to be training in some capacity as he works his way back to full fitness. He could make his long-awaited return in October.
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