The Blues head coach has been dealing with a lengthy list of absentees recently due to a number of injuries and provided an extensive update on how various players recoveries are going, including mixed news on the trio who went off in our last Premier League fixture against Manchester City - Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Christian Pulisic and Raheem Sterling.

Fulham vs Chelsea Aubameyang, Pulisic and Sterling injury update

Aubameyang missed Sunday's FA Cup third-round tie at Man City due to a back issue, as did Sterling and Pulisic after picking up problems in the league game against the same opponents four days earlier, but only one of them is able to return in time to play against Fulham.

'Pierre’s fine so he’ll be in the squad for the game tomorrow,' confirmed Graham Potter.

'Christian’s going to be out for a couple of months we think. Hopefully it will be less, but that’s the timeframe there.

'We think Raheem will be out for less time than Christian. We’re still evaluating the actual extent of it, but hopefully it will be less than that.'

Fulham vs Chelsea Loftus-Cheek, Kante, Chilwell and James injury update

Potter also gave an overview of the progress made by some of the other names on our extensive injury list - Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Ben Chilwell, Reece James and N'Golo Kante - revealing some promising developments, even if it is still too soon for them to be considered for selection.

'We’re making progress,' he explained. 'Ruben is getting closer, Ben is getting closer.

'Reece was out on the grass today, not training with the team but training on his own. N’Golo’s had his first couple of days out training on his own as well, although he has still got a long, long way to go before he is back fully.

'So it felt a bit more positive, obviously, to see those guys out there training and it gives people a bit of a lift.'

Fulham vs Chelsea injury list

Wesley Fofana and Armando Broja are among Chelsea's long-term absentees, while Edouard Mendy is unavailable after undergoing surgery on a fractured finger last week.

Neeskens Kebano is out long-term for Fulham with a ruptured Achilles, but they hope Shane Duffy will be back in contention for this game following illness.

Fulham vs Chelsea suspension

There are no players suspended for Chelsea, but Fulham will be without their top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic.

In the Premier League, five yellow cards received before 19 league fixtures (Crystal Palace at home on 15 January) have been played will result in a one-match suspension in the competition.

Chelsea Premier League booking list

Azpilicueta 3, Havertz 3, James 3, Jorginho 3, Koulibaly 3, Kovacic 3, Sterling 3, Cucurella 2, Gallagher 2, Mount 2, Aubameyang 1, Chalobah 1, Chilwell 1, Loftus-Cheek 1, Mendy 1, Pulisic 1, Thiago Silva 1

Fulham vs Chelsea referee and VAR

Referee: David Coote
VAR: John Brooks

Coote will take charge alongside assistants Lee Betts and Timothy Wood, plus fourth official Stuart Attwell, while the assistant VAR will be Natalie Aspinall.

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