Chelsea are expected to sign the former Milan goalkeeper Marco Amelia on a short-term basis as they seek experienced cover for their injured first-choice, Thibaut Courtois.

The Belgium No1 will be absent until December after damaging the meniscus in his right knee, an injury which required surgery in Barcelona this month, and that has left the summer signing Asmir Begovic as the only senior goalkeeper in Chelsea’s squad. Jamal Blackman, 21, is acting as back-up with the youngsters Mitchell Beeney and Bradley Collins also spending time in the first-team set-up as cover.

Begovic, secured from Stoke in the summer, has been excellent to date but José Mourinho is keen to have experienced back-up on the books should the Bosnia and Herzegovina international suffer his own fitness or suspension issues. Amelia made 41 appearances for Milan over a four-year period before leaving San Siro last year. The 33-year-old went on to play for the amateur club Rocca Priora and had a short spell at Perugia in Serie B but was released at the end of the campaign and is a free agent.

The former Italy international – he has nine caps and was part of the squad which won the 2006 World Cup, with his last appearance six years ago – was linked with a move to Arsenal as No2 in the summer, only for David Ospina to opt to stay at the north London club, but has spent the last week on trial with Chelsea. The champions named only 19 players over 21 in their 25-man Premier League squad earlier this month, including five who are considered “homegrown”, meaning they can apply to register a free agent outside the transfer window.

Mourinho ruled out taking a goalkeeper on an emergency loan arrangement last week and reiterated that while ruling out a move for Porto’s 37-year-old Helton. “We need a goalkeeper now, not in January,” said Mourinho. “Helton has a contract with Porto and would only be available in January. By then, Courtois will be available again.”