Chelsea star likely to be out for up to 6 weeks after picking up injury: Reports

Chelsea midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu is reportedly set to miss six weeks of action after aggravating his hamstring injury last December.

Ugochukwu, who joined the Blues for close to £23 million from Rennes earlier this summer, has emerged as a crucial squad member for his club this season. The 19-year-old has made 13 appearances across competitions so far, starting six overall outings in the process.

A right-footed defensive midfielder, Ugochukwu missed five club matches due to a hamstring injury in the first three weeks of December. He returned to action in a 2-1 league defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Christmas Eve but picked up an injury in the 58th minute.

Now, according to The Standard, the Frenchman is expected to be out for up to six weeks after recently re-injuring his hamstring. His absence is likely to hand Andrey Santos, who made two appearances on loan at Nottingham Forest, an opportunity to stay in the Blues' squad.

Meanwhile, Chelsea are still without Romeo Lavia and Carney Chukwuemeka due to thigh and knee injuries respectively. On the other hand, Enzo Fernandez is said to be struggling with a hernia problem now.

Apart from the aforesaid players, Chelsea are also missing six other stars owing to injuries. Reece James, Benjamin Chilwell, Marc Cucurella, Wesley Fofana, Trevoh Chalobah, and Robert Sanchez are all out.

Chris Sutton offers prediction for upcoming FA Cup match between Chelsea & Preston

In his column for the BBC, ex-Chelsea striker Chris Sutton claimed that his former club will be held to a 1-1 draw in their FA Cup last-64 clash against Preston North End on Saturday (January 6). He wrote:

"Chelsea are already in the Carabao Cup semi-finals and a good run in the FA Cup will be important to Mauricio Pochettino too, although I think Preston will dig in at Stamford Bridge and take them to a replay."

The Blues, who will visit Middlesbrough for their EFL Cup semi-final first leg match next Tuesday, are currently on a good run of form. They have won four of their past five games, scoring nine goals in the process.

Preston, on the other hand, are in 14th spot in the EFL Championship table with 35 points from 26 games. They have recorded just two triumphs, one draw, and seven losses in their last 10 Championship matches.

As for head-to-head record, the Stamford Bridge outfit have registered three wins in all of their past three FA Cup meetings against Preston.