Chelsea will be without several players when they face Fulham in their Boxing Day clash.
The Blues will take on their west London rivals at Stamford Bridge in their next Premier League fixture as they aim to close the gap on leaders Liverpool at the top of the table.
Enzo Maresca's side are second in the Premier League table and four points adrift of Liverpool, who have a game in hand, but will hope to narrow the gap by claiming a victory over Fulham.
Maresca has been forced to manage with several injury concerns throughout his debut season as Chelsea's manager. Romeo Lavia's fitness has been a topic of conversation going into the game at Stamford Bridge, with the midfielder suffering a hamstring injury during the win over Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month.
During his pre-match press conference on Christmas Eve, Maresca confirmed that Lavia was not ready to return to the matchday squad.
"Romeo [Lavia] is still recovering, he's much much better, but unfortunately not ready," Maresca told reporters this week. "Same situation with long-term injuries."
Reece James and Wesley Fofana are also on the sidelines with hamstring injuries. Neither of the duo are expected to return before the New Year, with Chelsea having to manage without the defenders for the time being.
Benoit Badiashile is also unavailable after picking up an injury during training earlier this month. No timeframe has been given for when the Blues expect the centre-back to return to action, with Omari Kellyman also unavailable with a hamstring injury.
Mykhailo Mudryk will also miss the clash against Fulham as he remains provisionally suspended by the FA.
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