The Ecuador international suffered the setback on World Cup duty earlier this week, and this forced him to miss the South Coast trip.

Speaking after the goalless draw at the Vitality Stadium, Pochettino confirmed that the midfielder will need to be assessed, he said:

"Caicedo arrived back with a knock in his knee. We need to assess him in the next few days but he wasn't available for today, that's why he not here."

The Blues have had a dreadful start to the Premier League season and they have picked up only five points from as many games.

The club are already eight points behind the Champions League spots and have a huge task ahead to finish in the league's top four.

Chelsea face a tough outing against Aston Villa in their next game. Pochettino will be hoping his team can respond with a win.

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