Chelsea handed further injury boost as Timo Werner begins Blues training again after injury lay-off

Chelsea have been given another injury boost this week with striker Timo Werner returning to training following a hamstring problem.

The German forward, who has scored two goals in ten games for the Blues this season, picked up the fitness setback during last month's 4-0 Champions League victory over Malmo and has missed the west Londoners' last five matches.

But Chelsea released images of the 25-year-old back doing pitch work at the club's Cobham training base on Thursday, raising speculation he could return for the Blues' trip to Leicester City on Saturday lunchtime.

Blues stars Marcos Alonso and Mason Mount were also seen training on Thursday after their respective injury and dental setbacks, though there was no sign of Mateo Kovacic who has been out for nearly three weeks with a hamstring issue.

Thomas Tuchel's Blues have remained unbeaten since Werner picked up his injury on October 20, but the Premier League leaders have been short of attacking players with Romelu Lukaku picking up an ankle injury in the same match.

Lukaku and Werner's absences have put pressure on Kai Havertz to lead the line as Chelsea's only recognised striker in that time and while attacker Christian Pulisic returned from injury in recent weeks, Callum Hudson-Odoi has also faced the pressure of finding the net.

But Belgian striker Lukaku was also seen training again with Chelsea this week, with the £98million forward also facing a potential return at Leicester this weekend.

The 28-year-old posted images on social media of him doing running work at the Cobham training complex after missing the November international break with Belgium.

The forward posted an emoji of a battery alongside the pictures of him training, hinting that he could make his Chelsea return sooner rather than later.

Lukaku has four goals in 11 matches since making his return to Chelsea from Inter Milan earlier this year and his return to fitness could be a boost for the Blues as they look to stay top of the Premier League.

Tuchel's side have an intense week of domestic and European action to come, with Saturday's trip to Leicester coming just a few days before Juventus come to Stamford Bridge in the Champions League.

The European champions need a point to secure their place in the last-16 - or will go through if Zenit St Petersburg fail to beat Malmo in the other game - but will be looking for a victory to go top of their group with one game to play.

And Chelsea host Manchester United the following weekend in another test of their title credentials, while the Blues have nine matches to contend with in December.