Mauricio Pochettino says Christopher Nkunku is “really close” to being able to return from injury.
Nkunku joined Chelsea from RB Leipzig in the summer but suffered a serious knee injury in pre-season which required surgery.
But the Chelsea boss says he is making good progress in his recovery and hopes to have him involved again soon.
“He’s doing really well and working really hard,” Pochettino said.
“I think he’s really close. I hope as soon as possible we can have him involved again in games. He’s a really important player for us.
“Maybe after the next international break. Maybe he will be involved, maybe but I’m not sure.
“I think he’s a player that when you see the goals he scored last season, he’s a player that can provide goals and I think we are missing goals.
“That is why we think he can be an important player for us. He’s proved that he can score goals in a league like the Bundesliga.
“Today, maybe with eight or ten goals from Nkunku maybe the situation can be completely different because that is the goals we are missing to be in a different position.
“It’s unlucky, but also we cannot complain. We need to work, things can happen.
“We’re looking forward to recovering him and to see if it’s possible for him to help the team to score more goals, to create more goals and to be in a different position in the table.”
Striker Armando Broja is again set to miss out with a knee injury, however, while Reece James will again be on the bench as he works his way back from a hamstring problem.
“No, he’s still not ready to start,” Pochettino said.
“I think he’s doing well, training really well, he’s really close. But at the moment, tomorrow, he’s still going to be on the bench.”
