Chelsea receive unexpected boost ahead of Aston Villa as £52m striker returns to Cobham

Chelsea striker Christopher Nkunku attempted to lighten up the mood around the club with a two-worded update on his fitness.

The 25-year-old has been out for the entirety of the season so far having picked up a poorly timed knee knock during the last game of pre-season. Chelsea attacker Christopher Nkunku has taken to Instagram to update fans on his progress in returning from injury.

The French forwarded wasted little time in adapting to life as a Chelsea player and scored three goals in pre-season before injury struck and has since kept him out of action.

There is no doubt his absence has hurt Mauricio Pochettino’s side, as they have struggled to score goals in the Premier League with Sterling the highest scorer after his brace against Nottingham Forest.

Nkunku formed such a promising partnership with Nicolas Jackson and since his injury, the Senegal international has only scored once his overall performance has been declining as he struggles for goals and the club’s inability to win games takes its toll.

Chelsea have the youngest team in the Premier League with an average age of 23.5 but the results haven't been good and the latest draw to Bournemouth has left many questioning of the project is heading in the right direction under Argentine manager Mauricio Pochettino.

As Chelsea recovers from the latest disappointment Nkunku shared an update online. Taking to social media the former Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig man wrote: “In progress..[timer emoji]” alongside a set of images.