Report Details Reasons Behind WWE Absences Of Charlotte Flair, LA Knight, More

Over the past month, several WWE stars have been out of action due injury or lack of creative direction, and "Wrestling Observer Newsletter's" Dave Meltzer has provided an update on the return timeline for those who are absent.

LA Knight was last seen on "WWE Raw" in early December when he was written off television after being attacked by The Vision. Meltzer claims that "The Megastar" is currently scheduled to return at the Royal Rumble at the end of this month, but it's uncertain whether WWE will choose to have him appear before the show. 

In addition, Charlotte Flair missed "WWE SmackDown" last Friday, resulting in her partner Alexa Bliss to challenge for the Women's United States Championship. "The Queen" was reportedly "very ill" and her absence led to there being changes for "SmackDown," but she did return on WWE's tour of Europe Thursday. Another pair of stars who have gone missing on the blue brand are the Street Profits, but Meltzer states that neither Angelo Dawkins or Montez Ford are hurt, but have been taken off TV in order to "freshen up."

When it comes to legitimate injuries, Stephanie Vaquer recently announced that she had been dealing with an ankle issue, but Meltzer reports that the injury isn't serious and that she's expected to return soon. Vaquer was originally slated to defend the Women's World Championship against Raquel Rodriguez already, but their eventual match together will instead occur later this month. 

Tiffany Stratton and Chad Gable have been dealing with major injuries over the last few months, but Meltzer wrote that both stars should be returning soon, as they have also been rumored to step back inside the ropes at the Royal Rumble. Finally, Rey Mysterio missed "Raw" earlier this week due to a minor injury, but Meltzer anticipates a quick recovery for the WWE Hall Of Famer.