Thomas Tuchel will have at least three players missing for Chelsea's trip to Elland Road for the Premier League Super Sunday fixture vs Leeds United.
With a win against Everton at Goodison Park and a fiery draw against Tottenham, the Blues have remained unbeaten in their tricky opening matches and now have to reignite one of their oldest rivalries. The Yorkshire side have four points from two matches as well, also drawing 2-2 last time out, but Jessie Marsch's side promise to be a different proposition to the one Chelsea comfortably beat 3-0 late last season. As well as the Blues, Leeds themselves have their own injury issues to contend with for this game week 3 fixture.
Chelsea will have to get past a new look Leeds side without some key players as Todd Boehly's transfer plan is put under strain with less than two weeks to go until the transfer window slams shut. Although Marc Cucurella, Kalidou Koulibaly and Raheem Sterling will all be available to Tuchel, and Carney Chukwuemeka too, it could be a different-looking squad. Here's who will be absent for the clash.
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Mateo Kovacic
Tuchel will be without his Croatian midfielder, who also missed the match against Spurs.
Kovacic is yet to play this season, being an unused substitute against Everton, and the same injury that kept him out of action against Tottenham will delay his return again.
What Tuchel said: "Mateo Kovacic as well, he's still out with knee problems."
Last week Tuchel also said of Kovacic, "[Kovacic] has issues with his knee, always a little bit of a reaction. We decided to take a step back and increase treatment time to reduce the stress that comes from training to have a normal reaction before we start again."
N'Golo Kante
After hobbling off with a damaging injury against Spurs, following a brilliant performance whilst he was fit, N'Golo Kante will give Tuchel a serious midfield dilemma.
Kante made 21 appearances in the league last season for Chelsea and had looked back to his best after a stunted pre-season, but his early season strain is cause for concern and lots of thinking for Tuchel.
What Tuchel said: "Quite serious. We’re talking about weeks. So not good news. We are disappointed and sad because N’Golo was super important and was super fit. He will be out for several weeks.
"We know enough about him but it’s one thing to perform on a loan and another to perform within a club like Chelsea. This is the next step. While he is doing the next steps, he was injured in pre-season and is injured again.
"This does not help his own ambitions and does not help us, of course, in having a clear view on what he can give us but given the size of the squad at the moment it is a huge chance for Armando to have an impact at Chelsea."
Armando Broja
Leaving Chelsea short in the striker department, 20-year-old Armando Broja won't be able to add to his two substitute appearances this season.
What Tuchel said: "Armando [Broja] will be out for days and cannot come with us to Leeds."
Christian Pulisic
In another move that depletes Tuchel's forward options, Chelsea will have to wait to find out if Christian Pulisic is okay to play against Leeds, who he scored against in this fixture last year.
What Tuchel said: Christian Pulisic had Achilles problems but he trained today. So let’s see [on him].”
Marcos Alonso
With Cucurella and Ben Chilwell both fit Tuchel will not need Marcos Alonso, however he is still trying to move away from the club, with Chelsea understood to have offered him to Barcelona as part of an offer for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
What Tuchel said [before Spurs]: "He is not in training at the moment and trying to finalise his transfer, so he will not be available for the game."
Cesare Casadei
Chelsea's newest summer signing Cesare Casadei will have to wait before making his full first-team debut after signing from Inter Milan on Friday.
What Tuchel said: "We will give him time now to learn the language, to learn what Chelsea is all about, to understand the culture, how we live here and train here on a daily basis.
"Once he is settled in we will give him an opportunity to train with us and show his qualities. Then we will assess him and I have a clearer picture of him. Then, we will see.”
Thomas Tuchel
As for the manager himself, he has been given a one-match ban for the scenes at the end of last weekend's 2-2 draw with Tottenham where both he and Antonio Conte were sent off by referee Anthony Taylor. The FA announcement reads: “ An independent Regulatory Commission has today ordered that Thomas Tuchel be fined £35,000 and banned from the touchline for one match, and Antonio Conte be fined £15,000 after they respectively breached FA Rule E3. Thomas Tuchel and Antonio Conte admitted that their behaviour after the final whistle of the Premier League game between Chelsea FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC on Sunday 14 August 2022 was improper, and both managers requested a paper hearing."
Tuchel will most probably be on the touchline for this one due to the verdict being 'suspended' at this point. If not, his trusted assistants Arno Michels and Zsolt Low will be operating on the touchlines more prominently in his absence.
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