Potter calls for focus in packed Chelsea schedule but receives boost on injury front

Chelsea head coach Graham Potter says there is a “long way to go” in the hunt for a top-four finish in the Premier League.

The Blues sit fifth, with Manchester United and Fulham the only sides in the top 10 to have suffered more defeats than Chelsea’s two.

Chelsea are eight points behind early pacesetters Arsenal, while the battle for Champions League qualification is set to be as fierce as ever.

Tottenham are four points ahead of Chelsea, while Liverpool have made a below-par start to the season by their lofty standards. Manchester United are only a point behind Potter’s team, while Manchester City seem more likely to be pushing for the title than tussling for a place in the top four, albeit they are second behind the Gunners.

Potter, though, knows it is far too early to draw any conclusions.

“I think we’ve made a little bit of progress from the first day to now, as you’d expect. There is a long way to go,” he said in Friday’s press conference ahead of Chelsea’s clash with manageress Wolves.

“We have to focus on the next match. We’ve got this incredible amount of games so rather than think too much about what’s going to happen at the end of the season, just focus on the next game.”

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Potter also had positive news to share regarding Wesley Fofana and N’Golo Kante.

Fofana suffered an injury in the midweek win against Milan in the Champions League but will not be sidelined as long as was initially feared, while Kante has been absent since going off against Tottenham in Chelsea’s second game of the season.

“Wesley’s knee is not as bad as we thought. After the game we were concerned. It will be a few weeks we think. It’s considerably better than it could be,” Potter added.

“Possibly [he can return before the World Cup], it depends how his rehab goes. We wouldn’t want to put too much of a timescale on it but there is a chance.

“N’Golo is doing more and more integration with the team. He’s still not available for the weekend but he’s getting closer.”