Chelsea fans will be missing some familiar faces when the Blues take on Bournemouth in their next Premier League clash.
Head coach Enzo Maresca has confirmed that Reece James, Malo Gusto, and Romeo Lavia will all miss the match due to injuries.
The trio's absence leaves Chelsea with a tough task as they look to climb the table after the international break.
Maresca addressed the injury concerns in his pre-match press conference, explaining, "Malo is still out and he is not available for tomorrow's game. Romeo looks very close [to returning], hopefully for the next game. Unfortunately, Reece needs more time."
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Fofana and Palmer return to Chelsea Training - Maresca updates
While the news about James, Gusto, and Lavia may be frustrating for fans, there’s a silver lining. Wesley Fofana and Cole Palmer have returned to training after skipping international duty, giving Chelsea some much-needed depth in their squad.
The duo’s return could provide a boost as the Blues look to secure an important win on the south coast.
However, the injury list isn’t the only issue Maresca is dealing with. The ongoing tension between Chelsea’s co-owners, Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, has been a hot topic. Despite rumors of a power struggle, Maresca insists that the so-called "civil war" isn’t affecting the team’s focus.
"I spoke with Todd when we played City, and I spoke with Behdad days ago," Maresca said. "There is no problem at all."
🔵🏴 Maresca open doors to Ben Chilwell return: “We will sit with him and find solution. He is probably going to be back with us, we will see”.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 13, 2024
“At the moment, he is not training with us. The reason why he was training apart, is because the idea was for him to leave”. pic.twitter.com/USRt1Oj8k7
As for the team’s performance, Maresca remains focused on the game against Bournemouth, shrugging off any distractions. "The players are professional enough to understand there are things we cannot control. My focus is on tomorrow’s game, to be honest," he stated.
Chelsea’s fans will be hoping that despite the absences and the off-field drama, their team can bag all three points and keep moving up the Premier League table. With the return of Fofana and Palmer, along with the possibility of Ben Chilwell rejoining the squad, there's still plenty to be optimistic about.
