Chelsea have confirmed Wesley Fofana and Reece James will fly to Dubai to continue their rehabilitation following knee injuries.
Fofana and James are both set to miss the World Cup and are now preparing for a return in December when Chelsea’s Premier League season gets back underway.
Both picked up knee injuries against AC Milan. Fofana was forced off in the home win, while James was injured at the San Siro earlier this month.
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James is pushing to be fit for the World Cup but his chances are slim, but he hasn’t given up hope yet.
Now the club have confirmed the pair will be joined by a member of the medical team in Dubai as they continue their rehab.
A club statement read: “Reece James and Wesley Fofana will continue their rehabilitation programmes this week in Dubai.
"A member of the Chelsea medical department will accompany them.”
Chelsea lost 4-1 to Brighton & Hove Albion at the weekend and head coach Graham Potter acknowledged, as well as telling his squad, that they need to cope with the absences of the likes of Fofana and James.
"You need to find a way to win and perform. We've had a lot of games in October and for different reasons, we've lost a lot of key players. Reece, Koulibaly, Fofana, Kante... it's a constant challenge how to set up.
"It can be tactical or it can be the intensity of the opponent and how they did better.
"We will look at how they can improve."
James, 22, has revealed he has been told by the medical team what his chances of making Qatar are. Although slim, he is refusing to rule himself out yet.
He told The Sun: “I need to keep working hard over the next few weeks and see where I am on call-up day.
"I will try and not rule myself out. It is still slow and in the early stages.
"I have been in rehab for two weeks, so I am still taking it day-by-day.
“The Chelsea medical staff have not given me a percentage of my chance of being back for the World Cup.
"It is down to how I feel closer to the time and how stable it is."
Topics: Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Chelsea, Premier League, Football
Matthew Debono