Josh Acheampong missed out on Chelsea’s squad for Tuesday night’s trip to Lincoln due to illness.
Acheampong has not featured for the Blues since a fine performance on the opening weekend of the season against Crystal Palace.
He was seen as likely to start at the LNER Stadium in Chelsea’s Carabao Cup third-round tie against Lincoln City but was left out of the squad due to flu.
Standard Sport understands Chelsea were informed of Acheampong's illness early enough that he did not travel with the team and instead remains in London.
The 19-year-old was a breakout star in last season’s Conference League-winning campaign.
Manager Enzo Maresca instead named Trevoh Chalobah and Wesley Fofana in his starting line-up as the Blues’ centre-back pairing at Lincoln.
Academy players Shim Mheuka, Reggie Walsh and Ollie Harrison were all named among the substitutes for Chelsea.
The Blues were also without star man Cole Palmer against because of a groin injury and Maresca has revealed a meeting is to take place to find a solution for the problem.
“Now we have a meeting with the medical staff and we decide the best solution for him,” Maresca said. “But it's also a kind of injury that is not like black and white.
“It's not an injury that some day you can be better. It's not that you are playing and tomorrow you disappear.
“Sometimes you can be better, sometimes you can be worse. That's why we need to manage day by day.”
