Chelsea boss Graham Potter hints new loan signing Joao Felix could make his Blues debut against Fulham on Thursday, as speculation over Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s future continue

Graham Potter has confirmed Chelsea are still waiting for confirmation as to whether Joao Felix can face Fulham on Thursday.

The Blues announced arrival of the Portugal international from Atletico Madrid on loan until the end of the season on Wednesday.

talkSPORT understands the deal to be worth £10m with the total outlay being to £16m which includes his £250,000-a-week wages.

The 23-year-old, has, however, put pen-to-paper on a new contract with parent club Atletico until the summer of 2027.

The announcement of Felix was made shortly after midday on Wednesday, and it remains to be seen if Chelsea were successful in registering him on time, with the cut off being at the same time.

Chelsea boss Potter believes his side have managed to secure a quality talent, with Felix set to take part in his first training session on Wednesday.

“He’s a quality player, he can make a difference in the final third of the pitch. Young but has had good experience. He’s a quality player that gives everyone a lift,” the ex-Brighton manager said.

“We’ve been aware of it for a while, these things don’t happen quickly, the injuries maybe sharpened the focus a bit. It was good to get him in training today and we will see about playing on Thursday.”

Potter has suggested Felix could be given an immediate start, should he be available for selection ahead of the clash with Marco Silva’s side at Craven Cottage.

He added: “From a physical perspective, he can go in. It’s always a little bit of an unknown period as he is going from one club to another, but that’s on a case-to-case basis.”

Following the arrival of Felix, it remains to be seen what the future holds for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The 33-year-old Gabon striker, who has been linked with a move to Atletico as a replacement for the Blues’ new recruit, has found the net just three times in 15 matches since arriving from Barcelona.

Aubameyang has not started for Chelsea since November 6, and recently missed his side’s defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup.