Another injury setback for Chelsea! Mauricio Pochettino extinguishes hope of early Christopher Nkunku return as Malo Gusto adds to woes

Nkunku - who effectively missed the first half of the season with a knee issue - suffered a fresh problem in training in early January and the initial prognosis was that he would be out for three weeks. It was then reported that he was nearing a return to the grass earlier than expected, but Chelsea have now confirmed he is still "undergoing his rehabilitation programme".

When asked about Nkunku's availability in a press conference ahead of the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Middlesbrough on Tuesday, head coach Mauricio Pochettino said: "No. He's not available. It's a shame. He's still recovering. He suffered a little bit in his hip, now he's recovering. It's not a big issue. It's just delayed the possibility of being available again."

The £52 million ($66m) summer signing is yet to feature in 2024 having missed games against Preston, Middlesbrough and Fulham. The manager also revealed that Nkunku's compatriot Gusto has joined him on the treatment table and will also be absent for the clash with Boro. According to Nathan Gissing, that is not a serious issue but rather a result of muscle overload.

That means Chelsea will be without 10 first-team stars for the second leg, including club captain Reece James, Romeo Lavia and Wesley Fofana, while returning loanee Cesare Casadei is cup-tied.

The Blues will hope they have enough quality at their disposal to overturn a 1-0 aggregate deficit and see off Middlesbrough to reach the final. The Carabao Cup represents their best chance of silverware at this stage of the season, with Liverpool their likely opponents in the Wembley showpiece. Nkunku will hope to be back in training before the big league meeting with Aston Villa on Friday night.