Chelsea injury news as the Blues could be set for a huge injury boost to their attacking ranks for the next round of the Carabao Cup
Christopher Nkunku and Dujuan Richards of Chelsea during a training session at the Illinois University Training Facility
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Chelsea star Christopher Nkunku has dropped a huge hint on his injury recovery as he continues to work his way towards his debut for the Blues. The 25-year-old is still yet to play under Mauricio Pochettino after a knee injury in preseason has ruled him out for the first chunk of the season.
After a fantastic final season in the Bundesliga for RB Leipzig, where he finished top goalscorer despite missing two months with a different knee issue, the star was thought to be the Blues' main goal threat after his strong showings in the tour of the U.S. However, Pochettino's side were delivered a hammer blow when he was ruled out for the first half of the season with a return before the New Year previously thought unlikely.
However, the star has been working incredibly hard to get back to full fitness. There have been consistent updates from the France international's social media accounts, with photos and videos showing him working on strengthening his knees in exercises, in the swimming pool and undergoing various medical examinations.
Now he's been pictured in first team training at the start of November, the first sight of him out on the pitch since the injury occurred in the summer. While the star still remains far away from a full return to action, manager Pochettino hasn't kept quiet about his excitement over getting one of his side's catalysts back.
"He is doing really, really well. He is working really hard. I think he is really close. I hope as soon as possible we can have him involved again. He is an important player for us."
Nkunku's issues have been just one of many that the Blues boss has had to deal with since arriving at the club, with the likes of Wesley Fofana and Ben Chilwell also down as long-term absentees while Carney Chukwuemeka and Trevoh Chalobah both suffered setbacks last month.
Captain Reece James has already spent a significant portion of the season on the sidelines but made a return to the starting XI in last night's 2-0 win over Blackburn Rovers in the Carabao Cup. Goals from returning defender Benoit Badiashile and winger Raheem Sterling sent the Blues through to the quarter-final stage where they'll face Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge in mid-December.
That leaves the Blues another seven weeks to get Nkunku back up and firing and the star has already hinted at a potential involvement in the clash with the Magpies. In a post to his Instagram account, the star reposted the official Chelsea account's photo of Badiashile and his teammates celebrating his goal in the 2-0 win.
It came with the caption: "Next round @Chelseafc" with a 'green tick' emoji and a 'clapping' emoji, perhaps a sign from Nkunku himself that he believes he can be fully fit for the match which would no doubt give Chelsea a huge boost in the attacking department given their struggles in front of goal this season.