Chelsea head coach Graham Potter could be without six first-team players as he prepares for his side to take on Leeds United on Saturday afternoon.
Leeds will be looking to follow up their 3-0 victory over the Blues at Elland Road back in August with a similar performance against Potter's side at Stamford Bridge. The Blues have been uncharacteristically poor this term and despite spending nearly £600million since Todd Boehly's arrival last summer, they currently sit 10th in the table.
Javi Gracia got his tenure in West Yorkshire off to the perfect start with a 1-0 win against Southampton last week and the former Watford boss would love to make it back-to-back top-flight wins for the Whites.
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Chelsea's poor form will give Leeds a level of confidence heading into the game and Potter will know that he cannot afford to lose yet another game as pressure continues to build over his future at the club. His team selection will therefore be crucial, but speaking in his pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon, the former Brighton coach still has a few injury problems to deal with.
"Thiago [Silva] will be around six weeks," he said when asked for the latest fitness concerns. "Edouard Mendy is making progress. N'Golo [Kante] had his first full training session today but will need time.
"Mason [Mount] has had a problem with his lower abdomen area so he will miss the game tomorrow. Reece [James] has tightness in his hamstring and is a doubt tomorrow."
Cesar Azpilicueta is also expected to miss out as he continues to go through concussion protocols after he was taken to hospital with a head injury following a clash with Southampton forward Sekou Mara. Mateo Kovacic was absent with illness during their 2-0 defeat to Tottenham but is expected to be in available for selection for the game against Leeds.
Predicted Chelsea XI to take on Leeds: Kepa; James, Fofana, Koulibaly, Chilwell; Fernandez, Zakaria; Sterling, Felix, Mudryk, Havertz.
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