<!--Article Start--> <h3 style="text-align: justify">Chelsea FC will be without vice-captain Branislav Ivanovi after the right-back picked up a hamstring injury in Serbia's 2-0 win over Albania during the international break</h3> <p style="text-align: justify">Blues' boss Jos Mourinho confirmed in his pre-match press conference on Friday that Serbia international Branislav Ivanovi would miss the visit of Aston Villa due to a hamstring injury. The Portuguese claimed he had four options to replace the right-back: C sar Azpilicueta, Kurt Zouma or Ramires as makeshift right-backs, and academy graduate Ola Aina.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">Mourinho also confirmed that England U21 international Ruben Loftus-Cheek was ready to start for the first team after developing in a mental, physical and tactical sense since joining the Chelsea FC first-team for training at the beginning of the year.</p> <h3 style="text-align: justify">Ivanovi out, Loftus-Cheek could start</h3> <p style="text-align: justify">Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Friday, Mourinho confirmed that the Serbian would miss Aston Villa's visit to Stamford Bridge due to a hamstring injury, as was widely expected.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">He is quoted by the <a href="http://www.chelseafc.com/news/latest-news/2015/10/mourinho-we-have-solutions.html" target="_blank">club website</a> as saying: "We have only Ivanovi 's injury, and Courtois recovering, everybody else is available.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">"I have four solutions: I have Azpilicueta, I have the adaptation of Zouma or Ramires and I have Ola Aina, an 18-year-old who has never played a Premier League game but hea s a boy with lots of potential. Hea s also an option.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">"It depends on matches, opponents, the moment, but we have solutions."</p> . <p style="text-align: justify">The Chelsea FC manager said of Loftus-Cheek: "Ruben has been with us since January, working with us every day, having the opportunity to play some matches, having an evolution physically, mentally, tactically. I think hea s going to be a really top player. Hea s ready."</p> <h3 style="text-align: justify">Loftus-Cheek start a big moment for the Chelsea FC academy</h3> <p style="text-align: justify">If the midfielder does indeed start against Aston Villa as expected, it will be a momentous occasion for the Chelsea FC academy. Although Loftus-Cheek has played and started in the Premier League before, this is the first match of real consequence that he will play from the start -- a huge step in the right direction.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">Even though the opportunity might not have come about had the Blues' first-team central midfielders been in the same form as they were last season, it is a positive that Mourinho seemingly feels confident enough to trust Loftus-Cheek enough to start him even when the team is desperate to get points on the board.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">It won't quite open the floodgates in terms of academy graduates coming into the first team, but it will give the youngsters hope -- convince them that there is a pathway into the first-team when previously there seemed to be none.</p> <!--Article End-->