Chelsea are back in action this weekend as they look to begin their ascent towards the upper reaches of the Premier League table. They face West Ham in a London derby where both sides are in desperate need of a victory to achieve their goals for the remainder of the season.
The Blues currently sit ninth, far from where they would want to be, but there are signs of some stability. The defence has been a particular point of praise as of late, with the addition of Benoit Badiashile improving the solidity at the back with only 21 goals conceded - the third best record in the division.
Discussing chances of chasing down the top four, Graham Potter said last week: "I'm confident with the potential that we have, with the ability that is in the group. What we need to do now is gel the team. That's the challenge. There's a lot of football to play but at the same time I don't want to waste too much time worrying about what we're going to do in four months' time, I want to focus on the next day, the next training session and the next game."
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In West Ham, the Blues face a far from easy test, despite the position the side find themselves in the table. The Hammers have been dragged into a relegation scrap, just one point clear of the bottom three, despite their recent forays in Europe and spending in the transfer window.
There is still quality in the side though and David Moyes will be hoping to unlock more of that against the Blues and is boosted by a potentially major return. That's because the Evening Standard reports that striker Gianluca Scamacca has stepped up his recovery from injury by returning to training.
It means he could be available to face the Blues at the London Stadium in some capacity, having struggled to kick on since his marquee arrival in the summer. It remains to be seen exactly what impact he could have on the game, but it will be a boost to the options available to the home side.
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