Chelsea star Hakim Ziyech departs from Moroccan training camp to continue injury recovery

New Chelsea superstar Hakim Ziyech has withdrawn from Morocco's training camp in a bid to recover fully from his injury.

The playmaker was hit with a knee injury ahead of his potential debut for Chelsea, which occurred in a pre-season fixture against Brighton & Hove Albion. The 27-year-old is yet to make a complete recovery, but was with his national side during the international break.

Ziyech came on as a second-half substitute in the Atlas Lions' friendly against Senegal and made the difference for his side as he registered an assist for Youssef El-Arabi in their 3-1 win. It was a promising outing for the Chelsea faithful as Ziyech could, indeed, make his Premier League bow in the coming days.

421- Hakim Ziyech has created 421 goalscoring chances for teammates in the Dutch Eredivisie since his Ajax debut in September 2016; 134 more than any other player. Threatening. pic.twitter.com/zcLPt3X4lT

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 12, 2020

The former Ajax man returned to Chelsea to ensure that he can make it in time for their upcoming Stamford Bridge clash against Southampton. Due to this, he will be unavailable for Vahid Halilhodzic's men in their next friendly, which is set to be played against DR Congo.

Ziyech's return to Chelsea was confirmed by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), who stated on their official website;

"Hakim Ziyech (Chelsea) left the national team camp in order to continue his medical program as previously agreed between the national team's medical staff and the English club."

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Chelsea's other injury concerns ahead of Premier League return

Mendy began his league career with Chelsea with a clean sheet

Apart from Ziyech, who is waiting to play his first Premier League game for Chelsea, fellow new signing Edouard Mendy is another player who could miss their next game. The Senegalese stopper was the last of Chelsea's flurry of signings in the summer as he arrived from Petr Cech's former club Rennes.

The towering keeper had a couple of mighty impressive campaigns in Ligue 1 Uber Eats and was brought in amidst the world's most expensive goalkeeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga, struggling to find form.

Edouard Mendy has withdrawn from the Senegal squad...

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) October 9, 2020

Mendy unfortunately suffered a thigh injury in a training session with Senegal, and is likely to miss Chelsea's clash against the Saints. Elsewhere, young midfielder Billy Gilmour is still recovering from a long-term injury.

Star forward Christian Pulisic is also yet to make his first official appearance in the 2020/21 campaign. The American international was one of the Blues' most impressive players towards the end of the 2019/20 campaign. Chelsea's attack would be heavily bolstered by the returns of both Pulisic as well as Ziyech.

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