Mauricio Pochettino, the Chelsea boss, has confirmed that Christopher Nkunku will not be making his debut in the upcoming match against Manchester United on Wednesday night. The Frenchman's first competitive outing for the Blues has been heavily anticipated since he joined the club in the summer, but injuries have prevented him from playing so far. 

Nkunku suffered a knee injury during pre-season against Borussia Dortmund, and December was initially suggested as the possible return time frame. However, Pochettino has now ruled out the possibility of Nkunku playing against Manchester United at Old Trafford. The manager stated in his pre-match press conference: 

"No. Hope [he's back] soon. He is not involved tomorrow. I think it is like we always tell you, it's about assessing day by day. Sometimes we get excited and we want to have the player as soon as possible but I think we need to be careful." Nkunku is not the only injury concern for Pochettino, with Lesley Ugochukwu and Noni Madueke also joining the medical table following an update from the club in a statement.