Chelsea will be looking to extend their unbeaten run when they face three Premier League fixtures in seven days in the next week. The Blues welcome Aston Villa to Stamford Bridge on Sunday before travelling to face Southampton and Tottenham.
Enzo Maresca's men have returned from the international break and continued where they left off. After beating Leicester City 2-1 on Saturday, Chelsea continued their perfect start to life in the Conference League with a 2-0 win over Bundesliga side Heidenheim.
The festive period means Chelsea have no time to rest and the visit of Villa on Sunday presents another tough test. One player who will be hoping to make an impact throughout December is Christopher Nkunku. The forward has often been used off the bench in league games but his form in Europe is impossible to ignore.
His goal in Germany on Thursday means he is the first Chelsea player to score in each of his first four major European appearances for the club. However, in the 76th minute, the France international was replaced by Carney Chukwuemeka after going down with injury.
It isn't yet known if the problem is serious, though an update on his fitness should arrive from Maresca soon. Another player who will hope he is passed fit to play Villa is Levi Colwill. The defender received treatment from medical staff after the full-time whistle at Leicester and was an unused substitute in Germany.
Pedro Neto, who missed the win over Leicester, could also return after picking up a knock during the international break.
"Pedro, he had a problem with his international team," Maresca said last week. "There was a chance he could be with us but we didn't take any risks for this game and, hopefully, he can be available for the next game."
Malo Gusto also missed last week's game due to illness. A week later, the right-back could be in contention to return to the starting XI and replace Benoit Badiashile in Maresca's defence. Fellow wing-back Reece James, though, is out with another hamstring injury.
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Cole Palmer of Chelsea celebrates scoring his team's second goal from the penalty spot with team mate Jadon Sancho during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Brighton & Hove Albion FC at Stamford Bridge on September 28, 2024
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