Chelsea have been handed a welcome fitness boost at the sight of Carney Chukwuemeka back in partial training this week.
The 19-year-old, signed from Aston Villa for £20m last summer, was on course to have a significant role for the Blues this season after initially taking up an understandable fringe status in 2022/23.
Chukwuemeka started each of Chelsea's first two Premier League games of the new campaign against Liverpool and West Ham. He scored his maiden goal for the club against the latter to equalise in the first half, only to be forced off with injury at the interval.
The midfielder, one of the first recruits brought in for the 'Vision 2030' project being developed at Stamford Bridge, ended up undergoing knee surgery the day after the West Ham game.
His absence during the recovery period was originally estimated at six weeks, which would put his return to match action sometime in early October. The fact that he has started to now engage in light training activities suggests that Chukwuemeka is on schedule.
Despite his young age and lack of experience, Chukwuemeka has been missed by a Chelsea side that is badly struggling – the Blues have won only two games in all competitions, against Luton Town and AFC Wimbledon, of the seven played so far in 2023/24.
His absence has exacerbated the earlier injury loss of Christopher Nkunku.
As 90min’s Tom Gott wrote this week: "Chukwuemeka was asked to play in the Nkunku role early in the season and threatened to give Chelsea fans a good time when he scored against West Ham United, only to pick up his own injury and send Pochettino back to the drawing board once again."
The Chelsea boss is trying and failing to find a replacement for the Frenchman that is being reflected in the results – the team hasn't even scored in the last three Premier League games.
At least as Chukwuemeka builds towards his return, it could ease some of the struggle.
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This article was originally published on 90min as Chelsea handed fitness boost over influential youngster.