Chelsea handed four injury boost ahead of Newcastle clash.
Mauricio Pochettino will be hoping his side can pick up from where they left off after the international break following an impressive performance against Manchester City
Newcastle have been dealt a major boost ahead of their meeting with Chelsea this weekend. Eddie Howe will welcome the Blues to St. James’ Park on Saturday afternoon in what is expected to be a blockbuster clash.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side head into the tie off the back of an exhilarating 4-4 draw with Manchester City at Stamford Bridge. The west Londoners almost snatched three-points from the reigning Premier League champions, but it wasn’t meant to be.
Chelsea have lost just one of their previous five fixtures in the English top-flight so they’ll be desperate to continue their rich vein of form after the international break. As for the Magpies, they’ve lost each of their last two games in all competitions with disappointing defeats to Bournemouth in the Premier League and Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.
Newcastle have struggled to juggle a growing injury list, but a win against the Blues could be the perfect catalyst ahead of a busy couple of weeks. In fact, according to Craig Hope, the Daily Mail’s north-east football correspondent, Howe is expected to welcome back two big players from the treatment room this week.
The report states that Miguel Almiron and Alexander Isak will be fit to face Chelsea this weekend, meanwhile Sean Longstaff remains a doubt despite his ankle issue beginning to ‘settle quickly’. Hope adds that Sven Botman has ‘progressed well’ over the international break and ‘should’ avoid surgery if his knee doesn’t swell up again.
In the Chelsea treatment room, Pochettino could have a trick of his own up his sleeve. Christopher Nkunku is still yet to make his competitive debut for the Blues following a major blow to his knee during a pre-season friendly against Borussia Dortmund.
The 26-year-old forward, who was expected to be out until as late as the New Year, could be set for an incredible return ahead of schedule. Before the international break, the Chelsea boss revealed that Nkunku is targeting an ambitious return against Newcastle.
“We had some conversation and he said to me, ‘coach, I want to be ready for after the international break, Newcastle’,” said Pochettino. “I asked him yesterday and he said ‘hmmm’, and I said ‘you are liar’. ‘No, no I am ready’. It is close and he is doing really well. We are so happy with him, the way he is recovering, he is very professional.”
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