Chelsea look to restore a sense of pride when they travel to face Southampton in the Premier League this weekend, having come off the back of 4-1 and 3-1 defeats at home to Brentford and Real Madrid, respectively, in the past week.
Thomas Tuchel has been able to operate with a near full strength side for both fixtures and managed to come away from Tuesday’s Champions League encounter unscathed, with just two players receiving treatment ahead of this weekend.
Here is all you need to know about the current state of play at Stamford Bridge and the expected return dates for those currently on the sidelines.
Callum Hudson-Odoi
Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi has been out of action since starting in the 3-2 victory over Luton Town in the FA Cup Fifth Round on March 2, before picking up an injury following his involvement in that match, along with some lower back problems in more recent times.
The 21-year-old has been suffering with Achilles tendon problems that have forced him to miss Chelsea’s last seven games in all competitions, yet there was hope that he would have already returned by now, although the injury was clearly more severe than initially thought.
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However, there is once again the potential for the youngster to return to the squad this weekend for the trip to Southampton, although it would be no surprise if he was to continue his absence from the side having not yet made a full recovery.
In Tuchel’s latest update on April 1, he said: "Callum still feels his Achilles a bit and has some lower back problems."
Ben Chilwell
Left-back Ben Chilwell remains out for the season after undergoing surgery for a torn ACL back in December, with his last appearance coming in the 4-0 victory over Juventus in the Champions League group stage in the same month.
The England international was ruled out for the season following the surgery but has begun his rehabilitation and stepped up his recovery in recent weeks, while he has also made a return to Chelsea’s training base.
But a surprise return before the end of the season remains unlikely, with the 25-year-old absent from training on Tuesday, and it looks as though Chilwell will have to wait until next season to come back into the Chelsea side once again.
On December 31, following Chilwell’s surgery, Tuchel said: "Chilly of course has had his surgery and he has our best wishes. Unfortunately, it seems like the season is over for him."
