Midfield duo hand Chelsea huge boost after training involvement ahead of West Ham clash

Graham Potter’s injury list is continuing to reduce after another two players were involved in training on Thursday at Chelsea’s Cobham base.

Reece James, Ben Chilwell, Wesley Fofana, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Raheem Sterling have all returned from their respective injuries in recent weeks, stepping up their rehab to get back to full fitness.

Chelsea were hit by an injury crisis over several months with the squad dropping like flies, seeing as many as 12 players sidelined at once.

But in the last couple of news, the training pitches have got busier due to the eight new arrivals and the number of injuries coming down gradually.

Ahead of their Premier League clash against West Ham on Saturday afternoon at the London Stadium, Potter has Joao Felix back available from suspension, but has also welcomed back Denis Zakaria and Mateo Kovacic to training this week.

READ MORE: Joao Felix’s ‘angry’ response after getting nutmegged by Ben Chilwell in training

The pair were pictured in training on Thursday in the build-up to the game following injuries, however it remains unclear on their statuses for the weekend. Potter will address the media on Friday and is likely to offer an update on their conditions.

Zakaria was forced off in the second half of Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat to Fulham last month and it was expected he would be out for a couple of weeks.

His rehab continues after he joining in on Wednesday too, which will give Chelsea a boost ahead of their games against Borussia Dortmund, Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur before the end of the month.

Despite Potter having to manage a large squad, Chelsea Women’s boss Emma Hayes has backed the 47-year-old to find the balance and solutions to keep the whole squad happy.

Following her lunch with Potter and the Chelsea owners, she said: “Coaches always want extra players, so it doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. It will make it competitive. There are, of course, challenges to managing that but Graham can do that.”