Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho fears that goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois will be out for “a long time” after sustaining a knee injury in training.

The Belgium international suffered the injury during a training session with the club this week, and Chelsea confirmed that the 23-year-old has had surgery on his right knee, meaning Asmir Begovic will start in goal for the Barclays Premier League champions’ trip to Everton on Saturday.

"Courtois was injured in a training session with the goalkeepers and I cannot tell you much, but I can tell you that he needs surgery in his right knee," Mourinho said.

"As a consequence of that he will be out for quite a long time. I cannot be at this moment more specific about the injury or the time he will be out."

"I will wait for [Chelsea medical director] Doctor Biosca to be more specific after surgery and I think today [Friday] we will be ready to give some more information.

"It is not easy to have the best goalkeeper in the world injured but it's easy to have one of the best goalkeepers in the world to play. We have [Asmir] Begovic to play and he is very, very good.

"I am very sad for Thibaut. I am very sad for the team obviously but we have a top goalkeeper and Begovic will be in goal."

The Portuguese manager also confirmed that 21-year-old academy graduate Jamal Blackman will be second choice in Courtois’ absence.

"Our decision was the third goalkeeper would be a young English goalkeeper behind two fantastic goalkeepers and we think that’s a normal situation,” Mourinho added.

"Now Jamal becomes the second. He was on loan at Middlesbrough and didn’t play once in the Championship. He has no experience but he has potential.”

Chelsea will be without midfielder Oscar, who is in contention to feature in their UEFA Champions League group stage opener against Maccabi Tel Aviv on Wednesday.

Despite Chelsea’s injury setbacks, Everton manager Roberto Martinez is expecting a strong response from the defending champions when they travel to Goodison Park this weekend.

Chelsea have taken only four points from as many matches and suffering a 2-1 home defeat by Crystal Palace before the international break.

Martinez's men lie a point ahead of Chelsea in the table, although they did emerge with a share of the spoils from a tough trip to Tottenham Hotspur last time out.

"They haven't reached that winning momentum of last season," Martinez said. "That's obvious. You can have the same players, way of playing and quality but you need that momentum and that comes with results.

"Their four games this season they've been small margins, except versus [Manchester] City [in a 3-0 defeat].

"I very much expect a strong Chelsea team with right approach, hitting the heights they hit last season when they won the league comfortably. We need to make sure they don't develop momentum against us."

Everton are without left-back Leighton Baines and midfielder Tom Cleverley due to ankle injuries, while Steven Pienaar has a hamstring problem. Bryan Oviedo is a doubt with a knee injury but Darron Gibson has returned to training following a foot problem.

Everton (from): Howard, Joel, Stanek, Browning, Coleman, Funes Mori, Galloway, Hibbert, Holgate, Jagielka, Oviedo, Stones, Barkley, Barry, Besic, Gibson, Lennon, McCarthy, McGeady, Mirallas, Osman, Deulofeu, Kone, Lukaku, McAleny, Naismith, Rodriguez.

Chelsea (from): Begovic, Blackman, Courtois, Azpilicueta, Cahill, Djilobodji, Ivanovic, Rahman, Terry, Zouma, Fabregas, Hazard, Loftus-Cheek, Matic, Mikel, Oscar, Ramires, Traore, Willian, Costa, Falcao, Kenedy, Pedro, Remy.

Match Appointments
Referee: Andre Marriner Assistants: L Betts, D Bryan Fourth Official: A Taylor



http://m.premierleague.com/en-gb/matches/2015-2016/epl.summary.html/everton-vs-chelsea

The international break was a much needed one. We should play well in this one and Win.

COYB!

Bimffo:
The international break was a much needed one. We should play well in this one and Win.

COYB!

u r unintentionally cheering everton

We are coming for the 3points. #blus army #ktbffh

Match Facts On home soil, Everton have lost only two of their last seven Barclays Premier League encounters with the Blues (W4 D1), albeit with those defeats coming in the last three meetings at Goodison Park. Chelsea have picked up four points from their opening four top-flight matches this season, their worst start to a campaign since 1995/96 (3 pts). Last season's meeting between these two sides at Goodison Park ended in a 6-3 win for the visitors - only six matches in BPL history have produced more goals. The Londoners have conceded 2+ goals in four consecutive matches (all venues) for the first time since December 2006.

My line up
Begovi Azp Cahil Zouma Baba Mikel Matic Pedro William Hazard Falcao. Bench: Blackman Djibodji RLC Kennedy Costa Ramirez Remy

A club after my heart

CHELSEA SHALL LOSE THIS MATCH. 2-1

K. Nairalanders pls show some love to my son wit ur likes as he celebrate his birthday 2day.

live stream link please?

2:1

chelsea must chop ogede...dy must lose...sneh!

Dem go chop am today

We Chelsea supporters don know say we go lose this match

Chelsea must to chop am 2day
2-0

Djhack1:
chelsea must chop ogede...dy must lose...sneh!

Hahaha I trust my hommie lukaku

D guy go score today , that one na sure banker

Everton 2 chelsea 1

am back again.....up chelsea..........oya shift............ man-u fan... arsenal fan na die de de..........am going to beat everton.. 3-0

I see Everton taking this one.
Chelsea must fall

walestrings:
live stream link please?

If you're using an android device, get Mobdro

Up blues

am going to stamford bridge with m blue shirt MAN U FAN.. ARSERNAL FAN U ARE WELCOME

wristbangle:
Dem go chop am today

hey!

This match gonna end 2:2

adewumiopeyemi:
am back again.....up chelsea..........oya shift............ man-u fan... arsenal fan na die de de..........am going to beat everton.. 3-0

Which Everton u won beat ?
D worst we go play draw .. #diehardblues#

20
Barkley R.

28
Azpilicueta C.
18
Barry G.

1
Begovic A. (G)
17
Besic M.

19
Costa D.
23
Coleman S.

4
Fàbregas C.
32
Galloway B.

10
Hazard E.
24
Howard T. (G)

2
Ivanovic B.
6
Jagielka P. (C)

21
Matic N.
9
Kone A.

12
Mikel J. O.
10
Lukaku R.

17
Pedro
16
McCarthy J.

26
Terry J. (C)
5
Stones J.

5 zoauma...

Guy Chill Out Check Down

for ur mind... oya come sit down and wach..... i go beat everton sdie.. 3-0[color=#990000][/color]

goryorhal:


Which Everton u won beat ?
D worst we go play draw .. #diehardblues#