Chelsea rocked by double injury blow ahead of Newcastle United clash as duo withdraw from international duty

Chelsea defender Levi Colwill has been forced to withdraw from Gareth Southgate’s England squad through injury. Colwill missed the 4-4 draw with Manchester City with a  shoulder injury and despite being called up by Southgate for the games against Malta and North Macedonia, the 20-year-old will instead spend the international break recuperating in London.

Colwill was forced to withdraw from the squad alongside Real Madrid midfielder Malo Gusto with an official FA statement reading: "Jude Bellingham and Levi Colwill will play no part in England’s forthcoming UEFA EURO 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia. 

“The pair arrived at St. George’s Park for assessments on Monday but will now return to Real Madrid and Chelsea respectively to continue their rehabilitation.

"Jude Bellingham and Levi Colwill will play no part in England’s forthcoming UEFA EURO 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia.”

Whilst Colwill may be fit enough to face Newcastle United when the Blues travel to the north east on Saturday, November 25, Mauricio Pochettino may be without fellow defender Malo Guto after he was also forced to withdraw from international duty through injury. Gusto was named as part of France’s Under-21’s squad, however, an MRI after the game with Manchester City reportedly revealed an issue in his knee - one that could keep him sidelined for the game against the Magpies.

Gusto was linked with a move to St James’ Park before joining Chelsea in January and has been a regular under Mauricio Pochettino this season - although he did miss two league games and a Carabao Cup tie after being sent-off in their narrow defeat to Aston Villa in October.

Newcastle, meanwhile, are no strangers to seeing their players withdraw prematurely from international duty either with Callum Wilson also forced to pull-out of Southgate’s squad earlier this week alongside Tottenham Hotspur’s James Maddison. Wilson, who Eddie Howe revealed may be missing for a ‘number of weeks’ now faces a race against time to be fit for the game a hectic fixture schedule to come with Newcastle facing games against Chelsea and PSG before the end of the month and matches against Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and AC Milan before the middle of December.