Chelsea skipper Reece James is set for another stint on the sidelines after suffering another hamstring injury in Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Everton.
James limped off midway through the first half at Goodison Park and is expected to be out until the new year.
The 24-year-old missed eight matches between August and October due to a similar problem picked up in the season opener against Liverpool and also was forced out of much of last season, including the World Cup, due to knee ligament damage.
Chelsea, who are 12th in the table, despite spending heavily in the last three transfer windows, are also without Ben Chilwell, Wesley Fofana, Romeo Lavia, Christopher Nkunku, Trevor Chalobah, Malo Gusto and Carney Chukwuemeka due to injury.