Chelsea’s inconsistent season continued with Tuesday's 1-0 defeat by Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb in their Champions League Group E opener.
The shock loss proved to be the final game in charge for Thomas Tuchel, who was sacked on Wednesday morning. Now, all attention turns to Saturday’s West London derby against Fulham.
The Blues were able to field summer signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the starting line-up in midweek as the striker wore a mask to assist with his recent broken jaw. However, Thiago Silva was a surprise omission and N’Golo Kante remained sidelined with his long-term thigh problem.
Here is all you need to know about the state of play at Stamford Bridge and the expected return dates for those in the treatment room.
Thiago Silva
Chelsea ’s veteran defender has continued to age like a fine wine this season, featuring in every minute of his side’s six Premier League fixtures. Therefore, it was a surprise when it was announced he had been left out of the matchday squad in midweek.
But at 37-years-old, playing every minute of a hectic schedule is sure to take its toll on the Brazilian and with that in mind, Tuchel made the decision to leave his centre-back in London in order to aid with his recovery ahead of Saturday’s trip to face Fulham.
How important will Thiago Silva be to Chelsea this season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
As a result, it is expected that Silva will at least be given a place on the bench for the West London derby, although it would be no surprise to see him make an instant return to the starting line-up following Chelsea’s poor showing against Zagreb.
Speaking on Monday, Tuchel said: "We decided with Thiago that he will have a break from the travelling and the stress after playing every minute so far in very intense matches. It was the moment to give him a break instead of putting him on the bench and having the travel issues. He takes care of his recovery."
N’Golo Kante
Chelsea’s star midfielder continues to recover from the hamstring injury which he picked up during the second fixture of the season against Tottenham on August 14, where he was forced off through with five minutes to go in the 2-2 draw.
Kante required on-field treatment from Chelsea’s physio before he was eventually helped off after being unable to continue, and has missed the last five fixtures for the Blues in all competitions as he continues his recovery.
The 31-year-old is expected to remain out for a further month, until at least the start of October. Speaking on August 26, Tuchel said: "With N'Golo, we are talking about weeks. We are talking about four weeks plus."
The recently-sacked Chelsea manager provided a minor update on the situation in last week’s pre-West Ham press conference, saying that Kante was the only player who was out of action. That will remain the same on Saturday as the Frenchman continues to be ruled out.
