Chelsea FC XI vs Plymouth: Predicted lineup, confirmed team news and injury latest for FA Cup tie

Reece James will not travel to Abu Dhabi for the Club World Cup after suffering a setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury - and will therefore miss Chelsea’s FA Cup tie against Plymouth.

The wing-back was hoping to be in contention for the competition after more than a month out. But his expected return has been delayed after he caught flu during the Premier League’s winter break.

Thomas Tuchel confirmed on Friday: “He’s not at team training yet. I think after these two weeks, he needs some time in team training to get the rhythm back and the confidence back before we can think about letting him play.

“He will not travel with us to Abu Dhabi because he isn’t part of team training.”

While James’ continued absence is a blow for Chelsea, they have been boosted by the return to fitness of Andreas Christensen (back) and Trevoh Chalobah (knee).

But Tuchel is refusing to place a return date on James’ comeback.

He added: “I know that we have setbacks and I know it can be long sometimes. It depends. The injury was a big injury and I felt it straight away - the diagnosis was straight away that it was a big injury.

“From there you have to be patient. It is a hamstring injury. It is always a tricky one and he is a very physical player and he unfortunately caught the flu and this was a setback in the last week.

“He lost days in his process coming back into the team. It was a bit of a setback for him. But we are patient. We want to have him tomorrow on the pitch, but it is not happening at the moment and we have to be patient. I know that Reece works hard and he is in the best hands.”

Ruben Loftus-Cheek will miss Saturday’s FA Cup fourth-round tie with Plymouth due to a minor complaint, while Christian Pulisic and Thiago Silva