Maresca confirms Chelsea injury blow ahead of Aston Villa clash

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has confirmed a fresh injury blow ahead of the Premier League clash against Aston Villa on the road.

The Blues have been in poor form in the English top-flight and they have picked up just nine points from their previous nine games.

As a result, the club have dropped one point behind the top four, and they need to beat the Villans to keep up in the Champions League hunt.

Ahead of the encounter, Maresca revealed that Noni Madueke will be sidelined until the international break due to a hamstring injury.

He said: "Noni will be out until international break probably. We can have most of the players back [then], maybe all of them and for us it can be a big boost."

Chelsea were considered as genuine contenders for the league title in December, but their form has nosedived over the past few months.

They need a huge improvement to qualify for the Champions League next term.