LONDON (Reuters) - Chelsea will have Mateo Kovacic and Hakim Ziyech back in their squad for their New Year's Day trip to Nottingham Forest after both returned to training following the World Cup.
Both were given extra time to recover after their countries -- Croatia and Morocco -- reached the semi-finals and contested the third and fourth place playoff match.
"Both of those guys will be back," Potter said, although he confirmed that keeper Edouard Mendy is a doubt because of an injury picked up playing for Senegal at the World Cup. Chelsea were dealt a fresh blow when full back Reece James was injured against Bournemouth and Potter admits the toll of injuries on his squad, and the fact that so many players were in Qatar, has been tough to handle.
"The break that you think you have to work with the team, it's not there because you haven't got the players," he said.
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