Pochettino rightly lamented that his resurgent side had dropped two vital points as they sought a fourth straight win in all competitions, but they must quickly overcome disappointment as they prepare Their next opponents are Brentford in west London, before their Carabao Cup round of 16 clash with champions Blackburn.
The Blues have had some lingering injury problems ahead of the busy pre-holiday period, a situation that has become all too familiar to Bridge in recent years.
Here is the latest news on Chelsea's injury and expected return date.
Romeo Lavia Chelsea fans are yet to see one of their key summer signings in action after he suffered an ankle injury in his first training session at Cobham in September. Initially, there were concerns that Lavia would be absent for more than six weeks and potentially return in November.
However, it remains to be seen whether this is possible, as Pochettino confirmed before the final international break that the former Southampton star remains unavailable. “Romeo hasn't joined yet, so I can't tell you,” he said. “After the international break, he wasn't ready yet.”
Potential return date: December 2023
Christophe Nkunku Speaking of Chelsea's new senior signings quickly getting injured, Nkunku had a promising start to pre-season following his £52 million transfer from RB Leipzig before suffering a knee injury in the match against Borussia Dortmund and requiring surgical intervention.
The France international is clearly keen to get back on track at Stamford Bridge and has posted a number of videos on social media in recent weeks in which he can be seen heavily working out in the gym and kicking a ball, albeit in an interior setting.
Chelsea have yet to set a specific timetable for Nkunku's competitive debut as things stand, but it looks likely to take place early in the new year.
Potential return date: January 2024.
Ben Chilwell Chelsea's vice captain suffered his third hamstring injury in a year in last month's Carabao Cup win over Brighton.
Nkunku sustained ijury during the pre-season friendlies
The England left-back is expected to be sidelined for at least two months after his latest setback, which was caused by a collision with former Blues midfielder Billy Gilmour. Pochettino has refused to set a timeframe for his return, but it looks likely to be mid-December at the earliest.
Potential return date: mid-December 2023
Armando Broja The Albanian striker made a late return to action after returning from a serious ACL injury last December, scoring in the West London derby win over Fulham.
However, he was substituted at halftime in the 4-1 win over Burnley before the international break with what Pochettino described as knee irritation, but it was notably not the same injury that he encountered last year.
Broja was completely absent from the draw with Arsenal, but it seems unlikely that he will be out of action for too long, so maybe he could feature against Brentford or Blackburn. Potential return date: November 1, 2023 vs.Blackburn.
Trevoh Chalobah Chalobah is yet to play for Chelsea this season after being heavily linked with an exit in the summer and is expected to leave the club in January. Last week, the Blues announced that the academy graduate had encountered setbacks in his recovery from a thigh injury in August.
It remains to be seen when Chalobah will return, but he may have played his last game for Chelsea. Potential return date: December 2023.
Carney Chukwuemeka Like Chalobah, Chelsea confirmed last week that Chukwuemeka had struggled to recover from a knee injury.
The former Aston Villa star has been limited to just two appearances this season, starting in the opening match against Liverpool before being sent off at half-time in the defeat to West Ham seven days later.
He has not played since and, like Chalobah, is currently undergoing further assessment and continuing rehabilitation at Cobham, with a return date unknown.
Potential return date: December 2023
Wesley Fofana The desperately unlucky Fofana suffered another serious injury in July, requiring ACL surgery.
The French midfielder still faces several months of recovery and may not play this season.
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