Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel said new signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will remain out of action at least for the next week due to a broken jaw.
Having collected just seven points from the first five Premier League matches, the Blues are under pressure to win their next match against West Ham this weekend.
Tuchel would ideally like to have a full-strength squad for the London derby, but unfortunately, it will not be the case this time.
Aubameyang, who signed for Chelsea on the deadline day, will be among the absentees, Tuchel confirmed.
“Hopefully, he can be that good again,” the manager said about Aubameyang during Friday’s press conference.
“But we know very well what we’d get with Auba, he was very keen to come back to the Premier League, and were very happy that we could make it happen.
“Normally, everywhere he plays, he delivers not only goals but also speed and work rate against the ball. A big package he can bring to our group — that’s why we did it.
“At the moment, he cannot train. First, we have to provide him with a mask to protect his jaw.
“Then we can start with a mask next week.”
The striker previously confirmed that he was injured while attempting to defend his family during an armed robbery in his home in Spain.
He also said that he would recover “in no time”.
“I am 100 percent sure that he will fit into our dressing room,” Tuchel added about the retired Gabon international.
“While he was my player [at Borussia Dortmund], he was always positive. He never missed the training.
“Hopefully it will stay like this, [his being] in a very good state of mind and that influences the group in a very positive way.
“This is how I remember Auba and how I felt when I met him here in London when he was playing for Arsenal.”
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