Conor Gallagher is set to be available for selection to face Manchester United, Graham Potter has confirmed, after recovering from illness which forced him off against Brentford.
Chelsea host Manchester United in the capital at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening. It’s fourth versus fifth as Erik ten Hag looks to get the better of Graham Potter for the first time this season.
Potter beat Man United on the opening day of the season with Brighton and will now come up against the Red Devils for a second time.
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He brings his Chelsea side into the game following a good run of form. They are seven games unbeaten under Potter, yet to lose since his appointment, as well as keeping clean sheets in their last five games in all competitions.
They currently have three key players out injured. Wesley Fofana (knee), Reece James (knee) and N’Golo Kante (hamstring) are all out for lengthy periods of time, leaving Potter to find solutions and manage in their absences.
Man United will be buoyed on by their midweek win over Spurs but Potter is confident of landing another victory to maintain his unbeaten start and was in a positive mood ahead of the game despite the injury problems.
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Here are the latest injury updates from Potter ahead of Chelsea's Premier League fixture against Manchester United.
Reece James
James came off with an injury against AC Milan which now sees him trying to get fit for the World Cup, albeit there being a slim chance of him getting himself ready in time.
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Potter gave a further update on the England international, adding: "He's in a brace for four weeks to stabilise the knee, then it's rehab. That will take around eight weeks. That's the latest."
N’Golo Kante
Kante is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury following a setback. He underwent surgery and will be out for around four months.
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He is also out of contract at the end of the season which could affect his chances of staying at the club, but Potter’s focus is on getting the France international, who will miss the World Cup, back fit and playing as soon as possible.
“The most important thing for us and for me is that we help him get fit. That’s the focus. He has a long road ahead of him so we have to make sure we get the right treatment to help him, to get him back fit and strong, and then when he is enjoying his football we can think about those things then.”
Denis Zakaria
The 25-year-old is fully fit but has yet to play a single minute for Chelsea since joining the club on a season-long loan on Deadline Day from Juventus.
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Zakaria didn’t get a chance under Thomas Tuchel and he finds himself in a similar situation with Potter. But the 47-year-old head coach insists he has done nothing wrong and that his chance will, eventually, come.
"We've got a squad of 24, we've used quite a lot. In that position, there are good players. He's been patient and competing, and ready to help the team. You can't play everybody. He's been unfortunate, he's done nothing wrong."
Conor Gallagher
The 22-year-old was taken off after 15 minutes against Brentford in midweek due to illness, but trained ahead of Man United’s visit this weekend.
Potter revealed he would continue to be monitored before a final decision was made over his availability.
“Conor (Gallagher) trained today so we will see how he is over the 24 hours."
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Topics: Reece James, NGolo Kante, Conor Gallagher, Premier League, Graham Potter, Chelsea, Manchester United, Football
Matthew Debono