Mauricio Pochettino offers exciting Christopher Nkunku fitness update
- Nkunku suffered a knee injury in pre-season
- French forward was initially expected to miss the remainder of 2023 after undergoing surgery
- Fans have spotted Nkunku training outside ahead of Saturday's visit from Brentford
By Tom Gott
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has revealed French forward Christopher Nkunku is ahead of schedule as he seeks to return from knee surgery.
Nkunku, whose £52m transfer to Chelsea was agreed early last season but only made official this summer, had an impressive pre-season before suffering a knee problem which forced him under the knife.
It was initially expected that Nkunku would be out of action for the remainder of 2023 but the 25-year-old has been spotted training outside on the grass again - a sign that he is closing in on a return to action.
"He's doing well," Pochettino told a press conference. "He's doing really, really well and he's working really hard.
"I think he's really close. I hope as soon as possible we can have him available because he's a really important player."
Asked for a more specific return date, Pochettino added: "Maybe after the next international [break] , maybe he will be involved. Maybe. It's not sure."
Chelsea face Brentford, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City before November's international break, after which they travel to face Newcastle United on November 25. Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester United are the opponents for the first week of December.
Fans are eagerly awaiting the return of Nkunku, who was one of Europe's premier players over the past few seasons. He bagged 16 goals and six assists in 25 Bundesliga games last year, having hit 20 and 15 in 34 outings during the 2021/22 campaign.
Chelsea have missed such a prolific player and Pochettino was eager to point out just how important Nkunku's return could be to his side.
"I think he is a player...when you see the goals from last season, he is a player that can provide goals and we are missing goals," the manager continued. "It's a player that can be important for us., because he has proved he can score goals in a league like the Bundesliga.
"Today, maybe with eight, ten goals from Nkunku, the situation is completely different. They are the goals we are missing to be in a different position. Unlucky, but we cannot complain. We need to work. Things can happen. Looking forward to recovering him and to see if it's possible to help the team score more goals and to be in a different position in the table."
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