Frank Lampard has confirmed Chelsea could be without the trio of Hakim Ziyech, Ben Chilwell and Reece James for their Boxing Day clash against Arsenal.
Ziyech has struggled with injuries since moving to Chelsea for £33.4million this summer, last appearing in their 3-1 win against Leeds earlier this month.
The Moroccan playmaker picked up a knock in that game having played a crucial role in Olivier Giroud’s equaliser, and Lampard says he is still not ready to return.
‘No, he won’t be fit for Arsenal,’ he said ahead of the London derby.
‘He had a knee injury at the start of the season and he now has a muscle injury.
‘You have to wait to recover. It’s not a long-term concern and we hope to have him back in the next week or so.’
The Chelsea boss admitted his side have missed Ziyech’s creativity from midfield in their games against Everton, Wolves and West Ham without the summer signing.
Ziyech was initially kept out for all of September before making his debut in the 3-3 draw with Southampton.
He showed his worth with a goal and assist in a 3-0 win at Burnley before laying on goals for Chilwell and Thiago Silva in their 4-1 victory over Sheffield United, but so far Chelsea fans have only been able to see his magic in flashes.
‘Hopefully he can offer what he did before because he was offering great things,’ Lampard added.
‘We missed that in a way but that’s football, that’s a squad and it’s what happens when players are playing at high level every two or three days.’