Chelsea will again be without captain John Terry when they face Hull City on Saturday.
Terry, 35, has been unable to recover from injury in time for the trip north.
The former England defender has missed three matches since straining ligaments near his ankle joint during Chelsea’s 2-2 draw at Swansea City.
He had been tipped to return against Hull, but Blues boss Antonio Conte confirmed on Friday afternoon that Terry is still unavailable.
“He hasn’t recovered from the injury with his ankle. We can see him after the international break,” said Conte, who also revealed that John Mikel Obi is struggling with a muscular problem.
Terry’s continued absence is a blow for Chelsea as they have looked fragile at the back without him.
They have conceded a total of seven goals and lost two of the three matches he has been sidelined for.
Having lost 2-1 at home to Liverpool, Chelsea were beaten 3-0 by Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, where all the goals were scored in a disastrous first half for Conte’s side.
This post was last modified on 30/09/2016