Chelsea are dealing with a number of injury issues with Reece James back on their injury list ahead of today’s Premier League game.

The defender will miss the weekend trip to Leicester, for which Raheem Sterling is a doubt due to a muscle issue.

Already absent for the match were Thiago Silva, N’Golo Kante, Edouard Mendy, Armando Broja and Mason Mount.

A question mark hangs over Cesar Azpilicueta’s involvement while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is expected to fail his bid to be fit.

Here is your latest update of Chelsea injuries and return dates…

Thiago Silva

Silva was initially ruled out for as many as six weeks when hit by a knee injury late last month, setting him up for a return after the March international break.

And Potter sounded a warning to any fans hoping for a quick comeback when, on Friday, he suggested he will not take risks with the veteran with the “most important thing being getting him back injury free”.

Reece James

Graham Potter confirmed on Friday that Chelsea defender James had been struck down by illness, causing him to miss training and subsequently the match at Leicester.

It means he will have played in just four of the last 18 Premier League games after the King Power Stadium clash, although, all being well, he should be back to face Everton a week later.

Mason Mount

An abdominal injury put Mount on the sidelines last week and Potter outlined plans to keep him back from playing for a little while longer, with a return against Everton possible.

The Chelsea boss said: “He probably needs a little bit more time. He is happy around the place and wants to help the team, that is normal with Mason. He wants the team to win, be injury free, and play football.”

N’Golo Kante

Kante is back in training but not available for the Leicester game, having not played since August due to a hamstring issue.

Next weekend’s Everton match has been described as a “maybe” by the midfielder’s manager.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

A back injury has ruled Aubameyang out of facing Leicester.

However, the issue was only deemed “slight” by Potter on Friday, raising hopes he will be back for the following match.

Cesar Azpilicueta

Chelsea continue to monitor Azpilicueta’s return from a concussion against Southampton some three weeks ago.

There are hopes he will be fit to face Leicester but the club have not confirmed his status, the defender having been pictured in training during the build-up.

Edouard Mendy

It has been some time since Chelsea fans witnessed Mendy in between the posts and he will continue to be unavailable for the trip to Leicester.

However, the goalkeeper is training and could feature in a squad in the coming weeks.

Armando Broja

Young striker Broja’s season is over following a serious knee injury suffered in a mid-season friendly.

Surgery was required and the Albanian is now focused on his rehabilitation ahead of the coming pre-season.

Edouard Mendy

It has been some time since Chelsea fans witnessed Mendy in between the posts and he will continue to be unavailable for the trip to Leicester.

However, the goalkeeper is training and could feature in a squad in the coming weeks.

Armando Broja

Young striker Broja’s season is over following a serious knee injury suffered in a mid-season friendly.

Surgery was required and the Albanian is now focused on his rehabilitation ahead of the coming pre-season.

Chelsea fans finally look set to see Raheem Sterling approaching his very best. The £47.5million move agreed between Chelsea and Manchester City for the transfer of Sterling looked to be a stroke of genius from Todd Boehly, but injuries have greatly impacted his first six months in west London.

Without Thiago Silva and Cesar Azpiliceuta, a number of first-team stars have had to step up in the absence of two leaders. Mateo Kovacic has been the player given the armband, while Sterling has also had to make an impact in the big moments.

Sterling’s involvement in the final third has not gone unnoticed by Ben Chilwell, but his fellow national teammate believes he has one quality that is extremely useful to Chelsea.

To the surprise of many, Marc Cucurella was brought back in from the cold to start Chelsea’s pivotal Champions League clash against Borussia Dortmund.

Cucurella’s performance has given Potter a tough decision for the weekend, with Badiashile available once again. The Chelsea head coach looks as though he will also face some difficulties when picking his front line with a fresh injury blow. “Raheem [Sterling] has had a little feeling in his hamstring, tightness if anything, so he’s looking doubtful,” he said.

Since his return from injury, Sterling has looked bright which has led to him starting the last three games, but his absent will present a superb opportunity for several Chelsea stars. Noni Madueke (£35m), Mykhailo Mudryk (£62m) and Hakim Ziyech (£33.5m) could all come into the team and Potter has already told the player who could start over Sterling exactly what to do against Leeds.

Gary Lineker will not be appearing on BBC’s Match of the Day after he was forced to ‘step down’ from the role following his recent tweet which criticised Government immigration policy.

Since news broke his fellow presenter on the show Ian Wright has publicly confirmed he will not be appearing. Alan Shearer is also usually on the show and he has now made his decision very clear as well

Ben Chilwell has described his decision to join Chelsea from Leicester City in 2020 as a “no-brainer” ahead of his return to the King Power Stadium this weekend.

The 26-year-old, after months of speculation, finally agreed to sign for the Blues in August 2020 in a deal worth up to £50million. After coming through the academy system at Leicester, Chilwell still had an emotional connection with the club but he knew as soon as Chelsea came calling, then it made perfect sense for his career trajectory.

Now, almost three years on, Chilwell has established himself as a significant member of the Blues’ first-team under three different head coaches. Ahead of his return to the Foxes on Saturday, Chilwell was asked about how difficult the decision was to leave the club and despite it being a “no-brainer” for him, the difficulties that came with the move.

Gary Lineker is set to “step back” from his presenting role on Match of the Day while he and the BBC reach “an agreed and clear position on his use of social media” following his recent tweet which criticised Government immigration policy.

The BBC released a statement on Friday announcing the decision, stating it considered Lineker’s recent social media activity to be a “breach of our guidelines”.

Gary Lineker is to step back from presenting Match of the Day until an agreement is reached on his social media use, the BBC has said in a statement.

It follows an impartiality row over comments he made criticising the government’s new asylum policy.

In a tweet, the presenter had compared the language used by the government to set out its plan to “that used by Germany in the 30s”.

The BBC said it considered Lineker’s recent social media activity to be a “breach of our guidelines”.

Chelsea boss Graham Potter has admitted he has made his feelings clear towards Mason Mount regarding his contract standoff with the club. The 24-year-old has been locked in negotiations with the Blues over a new deal since last November, but little to no progress over an extension has been made in that time.

Under Frank Lampard and Thomas Tuchel, Mount was a key figure, helping the club win the Champions League in the 2020/21 season. Despite a bright star under Potter, the England international has seen his form dip at the worst possible time, with contract talks ongoing.

Contract talks stalling has seen several Premier League clubs take notice, with Liverpool recently linked along with Manchester United in the Mount transfer race. Despite his impact waning in recent months, with multiple bench appearances coming before his injury, Potter insists the Cobham graduate still has a future at the club.

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