Chelsea have had a full week to prepare for facing Aston Villa on Sunday as Mauricio Pochettino sets about kickstarting his time as manager. The Blues have taken just five points from their opening five games, winning once – at home to Luton – as well as now going goalless in their last two.

It is a continuation of the poor form that has plagued them for the past 12 months and stretches back to uncharacteristic levels of inconsistency that started in January 2022. With £1billion spent – though over £400million worth of players are unavailable due to injury – there had been an expectation that Pochettino would turn things around.

Luckily for Pochettino he has been afforded seven days to work on his side ahead of hosting Aston Villa on Sunday. Unai Emery’s side have the added challenge of balancing domestic committments to newfound Europa Conference League fixtures as well, handing another potential lifeline to the Blues.

The Argentine is still without a big group of key players though and here, Sportskick has the latest on those that are doubts for the game. Starting with those that missed Bournemouth as somewhat of a triple surprise…

Noni Madueke

Noni Madueke was omitted from the matchday squad against Bournemouth due to a muscle problem – an issue which he picked up while away with the England Under-21s during the international break. Madueke returned to Chelsea training on Tuesday.

What Pochettino has said: “Noni came from the national team with a muscle problem.”

Expected return date: Aston Villa (H) – September 24

Marc Cucurella

Cucurella missed the Bournemouth tie due to illness. The Spain international returned to Chelsea training on Tuesday.

What Pochettino has said: “Cucurella, fever, yesterday he was at home and today continues still.”

Expected return date: Aston Villa (H) – September 24

Moises Caicedo

Moises Caicedo was pictured with a strapped-up right thigh while away with Ecuador over the international break, suggesting that the midfielder was nursing a knock. He was seen with what appeared to be some blue kinesiology tape strapped around his knee – a medical practice that assists movement and muscles around a joint.

Upon his return to Chelsea, he trained as normal at Cobham. However, he was rested against the Cherries and will undergo further assessments on Monday. It is expected that the 21-year-old will be available for this weekend’s Premier League clash against Aston Villa, however he was not spotted in training on Thursday.

What Pochettino has said: “Caicedo came [back from international break] with a knock in his knee. We will assess tomorrow.”

Expected return date: Aston Villa (H) – September 24

Carney Chukwuemeka

Chukwuemeka was the only goalscorer in the side’s 3-1 loss to West Ham, but a knee injury just before half-time saw him leave the London Stadium on crutches. Sportskick understands that Chukwuemeka was expected to be out for a possible six weeks. However, an earlier return could be on the cards.

On Instagram, a story from Noni Madueke showed Chukwuemeka back in full training gear and outside after the player had hinted himself he was close to being fit.

What Pochettino has said: “I think it is not an issue that will take months, maybe weeks. I hope we can be as soon as possible with the team again. He scored and then he got injured. Things happen that you cannot manage.

“A little bit unlucky but I think he can become stronger because he feels the way he needs to work and compete, he is young and for sure he will be much better when we start again.”

Expected return date: Unknown

Romeo Lavia

Lavia is yet to feature for Chelsea, with Pochettino eager for him to catch up to the rest of the squad’s fitness levels before getting involved. The Belgian midfielder is said to have suffered a muscle tear on his ankle during the international break which could delay his debut for the Blues further.

football.london understands that the ankle injury is set to keep Lavia out of action for at least one month, meaning he may not feature until at least October.

What Pochettino has said: “We are really disappointed because he was training really well last week in the international break. He twisted his ankle and now we are waiting for the results on Monday from the doctor. We hope it’s not a big issue but in the last week, he has not been training with the team.

“It’s a sad situation because he was nearly fit to be involved again with the team. Yes, now we need to wait and hopefully, it’s not a big issue for him and the team of course.

“We don’t know [when he’ll be back] because we need to assess him. He twisted his ankle and now we need to assess him. We do not know the time for him to recover.”

Expected return date: Unknown

Armando Broja

Broja didn’t return to the Chelsea squad this weekend despite comments from the Albanian FA over the international break suggesting otherwise. The president, Armando Duka, insisted the forward would be involved in the Blues’ Premier League clash against Bournemouth.

However, Pochettino disagreed with the statement in his pre-match press conference and the striker was not named in the matchday squad.

What Pochettino has said: “Who said that [he could feature on the bench this weekend to face Bournemouth]? Who is the Albanian FA? The coach? The president? I didn’t hear. It’s not [true]. Not yet.”

Expected return date: Aston Villa (H) – September 24

Benoit Badiashile

Badiashile missed the opening weeks of the season with a hamstring injury picked up at the end of the 2022/23 season, but a return seems close. The club’s official social media account posted a video of Badiashile back in training action on Monday, though Pochettino confirmed he would not be ready to return just yet.

Now, Nathan Gissing reports that the Frenchman has taken another step backwards in his recovery and is not longer training with his teammates. “Chelsea defender Benoît Badiashile sustained a minor setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury at the end of last week,” he wrote. “He has now returned back to individual training, but is hoping to resume team training again next week.

What Pochettino has said: “Not yet [ready to play]. The same situation [as Broja].”

Expected return date: October

Reece James

Still recovering from the hamstring injury he suffered in training, James updated supporters with a message on his Instagram claiming he’ll be ‘back soon’. He was also spotted at Stamford Bridge during the Luton match sat alongside Todd Boehly, John Terry and Lavia.

There is growing expectation that the right-back will be back after the September international break, having posted a picture of himself in training gear with the caption: “Back to it soon”.

What Pochettino has said: “He’s recovering well. I don’t know if he’s close or not because we assess him every single day but he’s started to do things on the pitch with the ball. He’s really well. He’s desperate to play for the team. Yes, I hope it’s close, also so he can be available before the next international break.”