Chelsea team news: Injury, suspension list vs. Aston Villa

The Blues went into the international break having enjoyed their best period for some time, posting three victories and a draw in all competitions.

However, conceding a late equaliser to Everton in their most recent fixture has left Chelsea in 10th spot in the top-flight standings, level on points with their next opponents.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up Chelsea's latest injury and suspension news ahead of their showdown with the in-form West Midlands outfit.

Armando Broja

Status: Out

Type of injury: Knee

Possible return date: Unknown

Armando Broja suffered a serious knee injury against Aston Villa in a winter friendly towards the end of last year, and he will be missing for the remainder of the campaign.

Edouard Mendy

Status: Minor doubt

Type of injury: Finger

Possible return date: April 1 (vs. Aston Villa)

Before the international break, Edouard Mendy was back in light training after recovering from a fractured finger. With more time under his belt, the Senegal international could feature among the replacements.

Cesar Azpilicueta

Status: Major doubt

Type of injury: Concussion

Possible return date: April 1 (vs. Aston Villa)

Cesar Azpilicueta has not been named in a squad since suffering concussion against Southampton on February, a consequence of accidentally being kicked in the head by Sekou Mara. As it stands, it is unclear when he will make a return.

Thiago Silva

Status: Out

Type of injury: Knee

Possible return date: April 15 (vs. Brighton & Hove Albion)

Thiago Silva suffered a knee injury during Chelsea's defeat at Tottenham Hotspur at the end of February, and the experienced centre-back is likely to be on the sidelines until the middle of April.

Mason Mount

Status: Minor doubt

Type of injury: Pelvic

Possible return date: April 1 (vs. Aston Villa)

While Mason Mount was initially named in the England squad, Potter later insisted that the playmaker required more time to recover from a pubic injury. However, Mount is expected to be back in contention for this game.

Raheem Sterling

Status: Minor doubt

Type of injury: Hamstring

Possible return date: April 1 (vs. Aston Villa)

Raheem Sterling was given the international break to recover from a hamstring injury which has kept him sidelined since early March, but the England international could be involved again on Saturday.

Reece James

Status: Major doubt

Type of injury: Hamstring

Possible return date: April 1 (vs. Aston Villa)

Despite having only made a brief substitute outing for England versus Italy, James withdrew from the squad for the following Ukraine match due to another hamstring issue. Given the importance of the upcoming fixtures, it feels unlikely that the right-back will be risked for this encounter.

CHELSEA'S SUSPENSION LIST

Chelsea have no players suspended for this weekend's contest.