N’Golo Kante will again be missing for Chelsea when they host newly-promoted Sheffield United in the Premier League on Saturday.

The France international is struggling with an ankle sprain and will not be fit to face the Blades.

Pedro (hamstring) is out having been injured in the warm-up ahead of the win at Norwich last time out, with Antonio Rudiger (knee) and long-term absentees Callum-Hudson Odoi and Ruben Loftus-Cheek (both Achilles) also absent.

Club record signing Oli McBurnie could be handed his first Premier League start for United.

The 23-year-old striker scored his first goal for the Blades in the defeat to Leicester and could be rewarded with a place in the XI at Stamford Bridge, having been withdrawn at half-time during the midweek Carabao Cup win over Blackburn.

United boss Chris Wilder brought in 10 new faces for that second-round tie and wholesale changes are expected again.

Chelsea provisional squad: Arrizabalaga, Azpilicueta, Christensen, Zouma, Emerson, Jorginho, Mount, Giroud, Pulisic, Caballero, Alonso, Tomori, Barkley, Kovacic, Willian, Abraham, Batshuayi

Sheffield United provisional squad: Henderson, Moore, Baldock, Stevens, Fleck, O’Connell, Jagielka, Stearman, Bryan, Basham, Egan, Lundstram, Freeman, Osborn, Morrison, Norwood, McBurnie, Sharp, Robinson, McGoldrick, Mousset.