Hakim Ziyech has withdrawn from Morocco’s squad as part of an agreement between Chelsea and the national team.
The midfielder has not yet made his debut for Chelsea after he suffered a knee injury during a pre-season friendly against Brighton at the end of August.
Ziyech, who was signed in a £33.3 million deal from Ajax in February, had been training with Chelsea’s first-team squad before the international break but Frank Lampard claimed that the midfielder was still short of fitness.
Chelsea allowed Ziyech to join up with Morocco’s national team this week and the midfielder returned from injury to play 31 minutes in the 3-1 victory over Senegal on Friday evening.
Ziyech delivered an impressive second-half cameo in Rabat and provided an excellent assist for Morocco’s third goal. But The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (RMFF) has confirmed that Ziyech has now withdrawn from the squad ahead of their friendly against DR Congo on Tuesday.
The RMFF confirmed that Chelsea were keen for Ziyech to be given some playing time during the international break in order to boost his match fitness.
But Chelsea’s medical staff also reached an agreement with Morocco that would allow Ziyech to return to London after he featured in the friendly against Senegal.
Ziyech could now be in line to make his Chelsea debut next Saturday as Chelsea face Southampton in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, Chelsea are assessing the fitness of Edouard Mendy after the goalkeeper was forced to withdraw from Senegal’s squad due to injury earlier this week.
The 28-year-old pulled out of a training session on Wednesday and has now returned to London for tests on a thigh injury.
Mendy is reportedly optimistic that he will miss only a maximum of two weeks.
