Chelsea suffered yet another setback in their fight for a top four spot on New Year's Day as they drew 1-1 with Nottingham Forest. The Blues took the lead through Raheem Sterling before Serge Aurier equalised for the hosts as Graham Potter's side dropped points yet again.
The west Londoners are hoping to add a few new signings in the January transfer window with Benoit Badiashile set to finalise a move to Stamford Bridge this week after completing a medical ahead of a £33million move from Monaco. The Blues are keen on adding a new striker, central midfielder and right wing-back after Badiashile seals his move to Chelsea, football.london understands.
Potter's side can jump up to seventh with a win over City tonight by at least two clear goals but have lost all three of their previous meetings in all competitions. Pep Guardiola will be keen for his side to close the gap to Premier League leaders Arsenal after the Gunners drew 0-0 against Newcastle on Tuesday evening.
READ MORE: Chelsea handed big injury boost ahead of Man City as hope builds over Ben Chilwell return
The Blues have been handed a huge boost ahead of their clash against the reigning Premier League champions this evening. Guardiola revealed in his pre-Chelsea press conference that Ruben Dias is ruled out of the match as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury, whilst the Spaniard is also facing an anxious wait over another key defender.
"Ruben [Dias] is out. Aymeric [Laporte] we will see in this afternoon's training session," Guardiola said. The news means Manuel Akanji and John Stones are likely to play at Stamford Bridge this evening.
Potter has been boosted by the return of Ruben Loftus-Cheek after he recovered from a thigh issue which he sustained against Newcastle United back in November. Ben Chilwell is edging closer to a return and could be reintegrated into the first team next week as Chelsea aim to close their 10-point gap to Manchester United, who currently occupy fourth place.
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