Chelsea boss confirms Kalidou Koulibaly blow and details return date ahead of Brighton and Madrid

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard has confirmed defender Kalidou Koulibaly will be out of their game against Brighton and Hove Albion- and will also miss the Champions League second leg encounter against Madrid on Tuesday evening.

The former Napoli defender had to be withdrawn midway through the second half in Madrid, due to a hamstring injury, and Lampard, addressing the issue ahead of the Premier League game says it will take the defender weeks rather than days to return to training.

He told reporters on Friday: “No, he won’t be available for either game. A hamstring injury, it will be a matter of weeks rather than days.

“He’s a very good, very experienced player. Albeit, people talk a lot about our squad but when you work and sometimes you haven’t got lots of cover and the Champions League squad is different from the Premier League squad.

“It’s a disappointment for him and for us, but an opportunity and we carry on without him. Hopefully, he gets fit as quickly as he can.”

It's not all doom and gloom at Chelsea though with Mason Mount likely to feature in his first league game since February after coming on as a substitute in the game against Real Madrid on Wednesday.

The English midfielder was an instant goal threat for 10-player Chelsea and it remains to be seen how Lampard manages his time and gets him to full fitness.

Another player who is likely to be involved is defender Thiago Silva, he returned from a knee injury to captain the side and will now look to continue when Brighton come visiting this weekend.