Chelsea right-back Reece James is expected to be back to full fitness within the next two weeks.
The 22-year-old has not played since injuring his hamstring in the 1-1 draw against Brighton at the end of December but he could be available to play some part in the Club World Cup next month.
Trevoh Chalobah (hamstring) was back on the bench for the 2-0 win against Tottenham last week and he is likely to start the Blues’ first fixture after the winter break, when they take on Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup fourth-round tie.
Andreas Christensen should also be back in contention. The Danish international was forced to miss out on the Spurs game after testing positive for the virus.
Ben Chilwell has been pictured in the gym with Reece James, prompting speculation that the left-back could make an earlier than expected return from an ACL injury, but there has been no suggestion that he’ll be back before the end of the season.
