Chelsea injury update: Estevao, Reece James and Marc Cucurella latest news and return dates | OneFootball

Blues sweating on fitness of a key attacker ahead of huge London derby

Chelsea’s bid to return to winning ways in the Premier League against Arsenal at the weekend has been made all the more difficult.

Wesley Fofana will miss the London derby at the Emirates Stadium through suspension after being sent-off for two bookable offences in Saturday’s draw with Burnley.

Meanwhile, youngster Estevao is a doubt for the big game because of a hamstring issue that prevented him from being named in the matchday squad against the Clarets.

With that in mind, here’s the latest Chelsea injury news and potential return dates...

Estevao

Chelsea were dealt a new injury worry before kick-off against Burnley as when the team news was announced, Estevao’s name was nowhere to be seen on the sheet.

Estevao’s absence sparked concern among supporters and it was later confirmed by Rosenior that the Brazilian had sustained a hamstring issue in training.

“Unfortunately yesterday in the training session, he felt awareness in his hamstring,” the Blues head coach said prior to the Burnley game.

Doubtful: Estevao

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“At the moment we are scanning it to make sure it’s nothing too serious but he’s unavailable for today’s game and we will see from there.”

Speaking after the draw with Burnley, Rosenior delivered an update: “And with Estevao, we're doing our assessments and scans on him now.”

Potential return date: Unknown

Reece James

The Chelsea captain made his first Premier League appearance since the 3-2 win over West Ham at the end of January.

However, he did not complete the full 90 minutes against Burnley as he was substituted just before stoppage time as Rosenior attempted to shore up his defence.

While Rosenior appeared in some panic to get Josh Acheampong ready to replace James, the Blues boss has allayed any fears surrounding the 26-year-old ahead of the Arsenal game.

Withdrawn: Reece James

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Rosenior said: “Reece, it was just, honestly, he's so important to us as the captain, as the world-class player that he is.

“Any sign of fatigue with him, I want to get him off the pitch. I need him for [the] Arsenal [game]. He should be absolutely fine.

Potential return date: March 1 vs Arsenal (A)

Marc Cucurella

Chelsea’s ever reliable left-back was forced off at half-time against Leeds with a hamstring complaint and has subsequently missed the win over Hull and the draw with Burnley.

Amid reports Marc Cucurella could be sidelined for up to a month, Rosenior was asked for the latest on the Spain international on Thursday.

“I can't give an exact timeframe on Marc,” Rosenior said in the pre-match press conference.

“He suffered a hamstring injury just before half-time in the Leeds game. It's a real shame because he's an outstanding player, and one of the best left-backs in the world.

Sidelined: Marc Cucurella

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“It’s a shame not to have Marc available but we have Jorrel [Hato] and we have Malo [Gusto] who can play on that side, so we have really good players that can cover.

“Of course, the sooner Marc gets back, the better.”

Potential return date: Unknown

Jamie Gittens

Jamie Gittens limped off during the comeback win over West Ham and is set for a long spell on the sidelines with a “tear in his hamstring”.

"Jamie is looking a little bit more long-term,” said Rosenior. "That’s a real shame for him as, obviously, I’ve not worked with him for too long, but I know about his career and what an outstanding player he is.

“So that’s going to be a big miss for us."

Potential return date: Unknown

Filip Jorgensen

Chelsea’s back-up goalkeeper has had a mixed time of things lately. Substituted at half-time of the Champions League win over Pafos with a muscle injury, he made a return quicker than expected and was named on the bench against Napoli.

However, he dropped out of the matchday squad for games against West Ham, Arsenal and Wolves. He was expected to be available for the cup tie against Hull but missed out once again.

Speaking before the 4-0 win over Hull, Rosenior said: “Filip's not fully fit at the moment. He's working really hard on his rehab.”

Potential return date: Unknown

Dario Essugo

Dario Essugo has not had much luck since joining Chelsea in the summer and suffered a fresh setback after being named on the bench for cup ties against Charlton and Arsenal in January.

“Dario has picked up a really unfortunate injury. He slipped in training, and he’s going to be out for a while,” Rosenior revealed.

“We expect him to be out for over a month, which is a real shame because he’s an outstanding player.”

Potential return date: March

Levi Colwill

Levi Colwill is continuing his recovery from the serious knee injury he suffered in pre-season.

Rosenior has said the defender is progressing well and could even be in line for a return to action before the end of the season.

“Yes he could [be back before the end of the season] but it’s step by step and I don’t want to make promises that I can’t keep,” the Chelsea head coach revealed.

“At the moment, Levi’s in a really good place. He’s on the right track but I don’t want to put pressure on him.

Levi Colwill has not featured for Chelsea this season

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“I spoke to Levi this morning. He's working so hard and what a professional he is. It's been brilliant to see him back on the pitch running. He's itching to get back but we need to make sure he feels 100 per cent perfect.

“He’s another outstanding player I can’t wait to work with and he’s in a really good place. I don’t like putting timeframes on injuries because it puts unnecessary pressure on players when their health is the most important thing.”

Potential return date: May