Mauricio Pochettino already has eight undroppable players in his Chelsea starting lineup ahead of Christopher Nkunku's long-awaited return. The 25-year-old forward, who joined the Blues from RB Leipzig in the summer for around PS52million, was dealt a hefty blow to his knee during a pre-season clash against Borussia Dortmund in the United States.

Nkunku has recently stepped up his rehabilitation, but it's believed that he's still some way off from making his competitive debut. The west Londoners initially suffered in his absence, but Pochettino has been hard at work on the training pitches at Cobham building a team which - in theory - should see the France international seamlessly integrated into the side.

The great strides Chelsea have taken was evidenced in their draw against Arsenal on Saturday night. With a quarter-of-an-hour left to play, the Blues were two-nil up against Mikel Arteta's side and cruising to victory.

Numerous players put in incredible performances at Stamford Bridge, but their efforts were unfortunately overshadowed by a goalkeeping mistake. Despite losing control of the London derby, Pochettino learned who was undroppable and who was dispensable.

So, with that being said, football.london has taken a look at the eight most important players for Chelsea ahead of Nkunku's return from the sidelines.

Levi Colwill Colwill has quickly established himself a crucial player for Chelsea, whether he's slotting in at left-back or at centre-half. One of the 20-year-old most underrated qualities is his ability to carve open an opposition backline with a defence-splitting pass - and Nkunku will love latching onto his passes in both the half-spaces and in-behind.

Moises Caicedo Caicedo has settled brilliantly at Chelsea since his eye-watering transfer from Brighton in the summer. While Pochettino joked that he would be 'killed' if he didn't pick him, the 21-year-old complements is expected to be a staple in the Blues side for many years thanks to his his excellent blend of playmaking and tough-tackling.

He covers so much ground and wins plenty of duels, but his one-touch passing, press resistance and constant hunger for the ball in build-up is invaluable.

Enzo Fernandez Fernandez has taken the Premier League like a duck to water. The 22-year-old midfielder has already established a fascinating chemistry with Caicedo in the middle of the park and their ability to pull the strings is pivotal for how Pochettino wants to play.

Conor Gallagher Gallagher has faced a lot of unfair criticism in the past and he was even heavily linked with an exit in the summer - which seems barbaric now. The Cobham graduate, however, has risen like a phoenix from the ashes and proven this season why he's so important to Chelsea and the balance of the starting lineup.

Cole Palmer Whether it be on the right-wing or in the number ten role, Palmer has been superb for Chelsea. From three-years or so as a fringe player for Manchester City to talisman in the Blues project, the 21-year-old has relished the pressure and almost always rises to the big occasion.

Mykhailo Mudryk Despite showing flashes of brilliance, Mudryk struggled to impress in his debut season - but understandably so. Since Pochettino's arrival in the summer though, he's begun to silence his critics with a lots of impressive performances and the best is yet to come.

Raheem Sterling While it'd be nice to see Noni Madueke stake a claim for the right-wing role, Sterling has proved that he's undroppable so far. It goes without saying that the 28-year-old is an exceptional player, but he also brings some much needed experience and wisdom to the Chelsea starting lineup.

With an attacker, like Nkunku, who is more polished alongside him, Sterling could really begin to thrive.

Honourable mentions A few honourable mentions go out to Reece James, Marc Cucurella and Axel Disasi. Ordinarily, the Cobham graduate would most definitely an undroppable player for Chelsea - if not the first name on the team sheet.

However, due to his injury record and the impressive performances from Malo Gusto, James needs a run of games to prove - once again - why he's a crucial player for the Blues. As for Cucurella, it's too early to call.

The Spaniard has been brilliant recently and, in a short-term sense, he is undroppable, but Pochettino hasn't given Ben Chilwell a fair run of games at full-back. Not to mention Ian Maatsen, too.

Then there's Disasi. Like Cucurella, the Frenchman hasn't put a foot wrong all season. However, Thiago Silva proved that he's more than capable of partnering Colwill at centre-half. Not to mention Benoit Badiashile, who's expected to return soon.