Chelsea without 12 players vs Aston Villa as Mauricio Pochettino battles injury crisis

Mauricio Pochettino has revealed that Carney Chukwuemeka and Raheem Sterling have joined Chelsea's long list of injured players ahead of Saturday's trip to Aston Villa. The Blues have been forced to deal with plenty of injuries in recent months, with as many as 12 players set to be unavailable at Villa Park.

It was confirmed on Thursday that Enzo Fernandez had undergone surgery on a groin problem, ruling him out until the start of next season. Discussing the latest injury news in Friday's press conference, Pochettino revealed that Chukwuemeka and Sterling were also on the treatment table with both players 'undergoing medical assessment'.

Asked for an update on Fernandez, he added: "He feels the pain and he feels the limitations because of the problem. The most important thing is to fix the problem for him. If he cannot perform because of the situation then it is not good for him or the club."

Pochettino also confirmed that Levi Colwill and Reece James will not be considered for selection against Villa despite the pair returning to training earlier this week.

"They are not available yet," said the Chelsea boss. "They are close. They were doing partial training, but they are not available."

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A more positive update was issued regarding the fitness of Cole Palmer, who missed the defeat to Arsenal in midweek through illness. The forward has since recovered and is expected to be in the Chelsea squad at Villa Park barring any further setbacks.

"We assume he is going to be available and part of the squad, yes," explained Pochettino. "Cole is a very good player for us, a key player for us and he is showing we struggle a little bit without him."

The likes of Christopher Nkunku, Robert Sanchez, Lesley Ugochukwu, Ben Chilwell and Malo Gusto will also remain sidelined this weekend, while long-term absentees Romeo Lavia and Wesley Fofana are expected to be out for the foreseeable future.

Pochettino was also quizzed on his thoughts ahead of Saturday's match at Villa Park, with the Chelsea boss urging his players to stand up and be counted as they look to bounce back from their heavy defeat to Arsenal.

"We need to believe we can compete better," he said. "We were so soft against Arsenal. We need to feel the same feelings when we competed against Man City or Everton.

"Too many circumstances that make the management is not easy, this problem with Enzo, the circumstances. We talk about trying to be together but now is another thing. It is another thing we need to deal with. We need to be positive. It is the only way to move forward.

"Never give up. We are going to push and get the best from the players we have in our hands."