GUS POYET has revealed that Emmanuel Giaccherini and Billy Jones will not be considered for a return for any of Sunderland’s three matches inside the next ten days.

Both players have made significant progress and are nearing a return from respective ankle and hamstring problems, but were expected to feature against Chelsea on Saturday.

However, Poyet has admitted that he will not rush either player back and is also prepared to ignore them for the two games - against Manchester City and Liverpool next week – that follow the Premier League leaders’ visit to the Stadium of Light this weekend.

Poyet said: “Ricky Alvarez is back and available for us and he gives us some good options in the final third. Giaccherini and Billy Jones are not available.

“I will be surprised if they are available for any of the three games. We will not be training with high intensity because of the games. I would like them to have a difficult week in training before they play.”

In April, Sunderland travelled to Stamford Bridge and left with three points by becoming the first team to beat a Jose Mourinho-led Chelsea on home soil.

That arrived five months after Poyet had also overseen a 2-1 victory over Chelsea at the Stadium of Light in the Capital One Cup, just 13 days after the Black Cats had lost narrowly 4-3 to Mourinho’s men on Wearside in the league.

Chelsea, strengthened by the arrivals of Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa in the summer, have gone on to a different level this season and are unbeaten with December approaching.

Poyet said: “I would not expect to be the manager looking to beat Chelsea for a third time in a row. We wonder which team is going to beat them first, though. Who will beat them in the Champions League? And who will beat them in the Premier League? Someone has to, no?

“For us, they are better than us technically and physically they have been outstanding as a team. We need to be strong mentally and have a good day as well. If we can’t cope with the mental side then we have no chance. We have been there and we have done it before. We have to go and believe.”