Chelsea have failed in their bid to have Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou available for today’s FA Cup tie against Portsmouth.
Both players will report for African Nations Cup duty today after the Ivory Coast turned down Chelsea’s request to delay their departure.
The first game of the competition, being held in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, is not until January 21 but the Ivory Coast are holding a pre-tournament training camp.
Chelsea may also be without their captain John Terry, who has been struggling with a knee injury and required a pain-killing injection to get through the Wolves game.
Blues assistant boss Roberto Di Matteo described Terry’s injury as “manageable” and said a decision would be taken after training today.
Di Matteo has not given up on the Premier League title but admitted the FA Cup is Chelsea’s best chance of silverware this season.
“We are in three competitions. At the moment you look at it and probably think the FA Cup is our best chance but we are still in the Champions League and in the Premier League we are in a better position than last season.
“We will look at putting out the strongest team we have on Sunday (today).”
Di Matteo will come up against Portsmouth boss Michael Appleton, a man he knows well from their days together at West Brom.
“He was my first team coach,” said Di Matteo, the former manager at The Hawthorns.
“He has improved their performances and position in the table. He always told me he had ambitions to become a manager and I wasn’t surprised when he was appointed at Portsmouth.
“He is still young and I really like seeing young managers having their chance.”
Meanwhile, Di Matteo has said he cannot see Frank Lampard ever leaving Chelsea.
Lampard recently expressed his frustration at no longer being an automatic selection at Stamford Bridge and he has been linked with a move to Manchester United.
Alex Ferguson dismissed any move for Lampard and Di Matteo insisted he remains part of Chelsea’s plans for the future.
“I can’t see him leaving this club,” said Di Matteo.
“He has been here for 10 years and he’s part of the successful history of this club. I don’t know what the future will hold but I can’t see him going anywhere, he is part of our plans.”