Mykhaylo Mudryk may return for next week, but and will not, confirmed on Tuesday.
The Blues boss was speaking at a press conference ahead of the League Cup fourth round clash with Blackburn Rovers on Wednesday night at Stamford Bridge.
The good news for Chelsea fans is that club captain Reece James is now fit enough to start and will do so against the Championship side.
‘Yes I can confirm that he’s going to start,’ said Pochettino. ‘I’m going to confirm only one player but yes the captain is ready.
‘It’s good for the team, it’s good for him to start from the beginning of the game.’
Chelsea then go to Tottenham in a huge Premier League match on Monday night, with the manager asked about the status of two of his players for that game.
‘Mudryk maybe but Nkunku no,’ he confirmed.
Nkunku is yet to play for Chelsea since his summer move from RB Leipzig due to a serious knee injury, but is expected to return in November, while Mudryk has had a minor muscle problem.
Ben Chilwell has been suffering with a thigh problem and Pochettino confirmed that the England full-back has been recovering away from his teammates and the training ground of late, but said this is normal.
‘The plan from the club was to change the scenario for him, because it’s a period he needs to be out,’ said the Argentine. ‘That happens at different clubs, in [former clubs] Southampton and Tottenham, it’s a lone period of recovery to change the scenario for them.
‘Every day 24 hour here, I know it;s a fantastic training ground, but sometimes the player needs a change to keep their recovery in a good way.’
On Chilwell’s return, he added: ‘I can’t tell you today, it’s difficult to know. He’s still away from the training ground now and for sure next week he’ll come back and we’ll see the situation. We hope that he will recover as soon as possible.’
Pochettino, who is under some pressure after defeat to Brentford at the weekend left Chelsea 11th in the table, said he would not be resting players for Monday in their League Cup outing on Wednesday.
‘We are not going to take decisions tomorrow for Monday because I think we have time to recover,’ he said.
‘We are going to try to take it very seriously like always as I think it is a competition we can go through.’
, . ,  and .
