Christopher Nkunku played his first competitive minutes for the club in midweek (Picture: Getty)
Mauricio Pochettino poured cold water on the possibility of Christopher Nkunku making his first start for the club against Wolves but said he was excited by the Frenchman’s return to full fitness.
The 26-year-old has been sidelined with a serious knee injury since pre-season and has been working his way back to fitness over the last four months.
Chelsea fans finally got to see the forward in action in the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Newcastle at Stamford Bridge as he came off the bench with 20 minutes to play.
The Blues hectic festive schedule continues with a trip to Wolves on Sunday but Pochettino thinks the game will come too soon for the Frenchman to make his maiden start for the club.
‘To play from the beginning, I don’t know, it’s too early to see him start the game. [The] next few games and weeks we’ll consider him in the starting XI,’ Pochettino said in his pre-match press conference.
‘We need to be patient; we need to give time. We need to provide him the capacity to give his best form.
‘Everyone was excited because everyone wants to see him fit and involved in the game. We know very well the quality and capacity to help the team in a good way.’
The Frenchman scored in the Carabao Cup shootout as Chelsea edged past Newcastle (Picture: Getty)
Another player inching their way into first-team contention is fellow summer signing Romero Lavia, who has yet to play a minute for Chelsea since his move from Southampton.
‘Lavia is now similar to Nkunku, after nearly six months maybe he will be involved with the team, Pochettino responded when asked if the Belgian could play a role on the weekend.
‘He is doing well but still needs time.’
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Chelsea will look to secure back-to-back league wins for just the second time this season as they look to build on their impressive wins against Sheffield United and Newcastle in the Carabao Cup.
Wolves, meanwhile, have just one win in their last five league games after losing 3-0 against West Ham last weekend.
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