Chilwell, Colwill & Nkunku: Chelsea injury news and return dates ahead of key Leicester City clash

Chelsea face off against Leicester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals this weekend – but their hopes of getting one step closer to some silverware will be heavily impacted by a lengthy injury list.

Mauricio Pochettino is expected to have at least eight senior players missing for the game against the Foxes, with Ben Chilwell and Levi Colwill the latest additions to the queue outside the physio’s suite after both missed out on the 3-2 win over Newcastle United on Monday evening. We’ve gathered all of the latest information on the potential absentees, their condition and the likely timeframes for their recoveries below.

Ben Chilwell

The left-back picked up a knee injury in the wake of the 2-2 draw against Brentford, and Chelsea have confirmed that he is “undergoing specialist medical assessment” before a prognosis is made. With details scarce, there is no indication of how long Chilwell might be out for, with Pochettino simply saying that “I hope it’s not a big issue, but after eight or nine months here at the club, I prefer to wait”. Chelsea’s awful luck with injuries this season appears to have worn the Argentine down somewhat.

Levi Colwill

Another new addition to the injury report, and again one with few details available. Pochettino has confirmed that Colwill has a problem with his toes but has not specified what the nature of the issue is, and the club have not offered any updates beyond saying that the defender is beginning a rehabilitation programme. No return date is available.

Christopher Nkunku

Having missed the first four months of the season with a knee injury which required surgery, the £52m summer signing suffered a fresh setback when he picked up a hamstring injury during the EFL Cup final defeat to Liverpool. The initial prognosis saw him sidelined for around a month, which would make the match against Burnley on 30 March the earliest plausible return date at this stage.

Reece James

Another player dogged by injuries this season, club captain James has played just nine games thanks to consecutive hamstring injuries, the most recent of which required surgery. The initial prognosis was that he would miss around three months of action, which would place a possible return date around the beginning of April – but the only update from the club was that he was still undergoing rehabilitation as of last week.

Benoît Badiashile

The £35m centre-half has been absent for a month with a groin injury which he picked up at the start of February but Chelsea have confirmed that the Frenchman is back in “partial” training. He is not expected to be ready to face Leicester at this point, but should be available for selection after the March international break which follows this weekend’s matches.

Roméo Lavia

Yet another summer signing whose fledgling Chelsea career has been curtailed by fitness issues. No return date has been provided since he sustained a serious thigh injury on his delayed debut, and Chelsea have confirmed that he is still in the rehabilitation phase of his recovery. There is some chance that the former Southampton midfielder doesn’t feature again this season.

Carney Chukwuemeka

Some good news at last – midfielder Chukwuemeka is back in full training following a high ankle sprain. Having made his comeback from a serious knee injury in January, Chukwuemeka lasted just five games before succumbing to that more recent setback, but will hopefully now remain fit for a little longer and be able to support Chelsea in their run-in. It is not yet clear whether he will be considered for selection against Leicester.

Lesley Ugochukwu

The France Under-21 international was initially expected to miss around six weeks after picking up a hamstring injury during the Christmas Eve match against Wolverhampton Wanderers – but ten weeks later, he has still not appeared and no timeline has been provided for his return to action. He remains in rehabilitation.

Wesley Fofana

A damaged anterior cruciate ligament suffered in pre-season will rule Fofana out for the entire season following successful surgery. The 23-year-old has managed just 15 appearances since signing for an initial £70m in August 2022, and Chelsea will just have to hope that his recovery goes well and that he is ready to play next year.