Mauricio Pochettino confirms Chelsea forward will miss Middlesbrough game

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed that Christopher Nkunku won't be available for the first leg of the Carabao Cup quarter-final at the Riverside Stadium tomorrow.

The Frenchman suffered a long-term injury in pre-season and he only recently made his debut. However, he has now picked up another hip problem and looks set to be sidelined for a while.

Pochettino said in a press conference today: "He’s not available for tomorrow. We have to be cautious. Hope it's not a long period. He is not training, he is recovering. It's not a big issue."

With Nicolas Jackson currently away on international duty, Armando Broja is set to lead the line. The Blues would have liked Nkunku to do so but need to wait patiently for his comeback.

The Blues are overwhelming favourites to beat the Championship outfit tomorrow and will be aiming to secure a comfortable margin of victory before the second leg at the Bridge.