Mauricio Pochettino has provided fitness updates on Raheem Sterling, Carney Chukwuemeka, Reece James, Levi Colwill and Cole Palmer ahead of Chelsea's clash with Aston Villa on Saturday.
"They are not available yet [James and Colwill]. They are close, yesterday they were doing some partial training.
"Cole was training well. We assume he will be ready for tomorrow."
"Sterling suffered pain in his lower back and Carney felt something in his knee, related to his problem before. We hope it’s not a big issue and he can be back as soon as possible.
"We are going to lose some players that were there and thinking of helping the team. Ok. The positive is that a few young guys will join the team for Aston Villa and that's a good experience for these guys."
Despite claiming that the club is not "Cole Palmer Football Club" earlier this week, Pochettino admitted that the side has struggled to perform without his star player.
"We can talk, we can talk. At the end, it's the reality. Cole is a key player for us. He is showing we are struggling a little bit without him. That's a reality we can't hide."
