Chelsea prepare for a west London derby with Brentford upon their return to Premier League action this weekend as they look to record their sixth successive top flight victory to further cement their position in third place.
And the Blues could be boosted by the return of five first team players ahead of Saturday’s Stamford Bridge clash, with the international break providing the opportunity for those in question to return to full fitness.
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.
Reece James
Defender Reece James could be set to make his return from an injury which has kept him out of action since scoring in the 4-0 victory over Burnley on March 5, in which was his first league start since his initial injury at the end of December.
His recent injury is believed to be muscular and even kept him out of the recent England international squad for the friendlies against Switzerland and Ivory Coast, as he continued his recovery, but it is hoped he will be available for the visit of Brentford on Saturday.
Speaking on March 18, Thomas Tuchel said: "We have to do late tests to see if he can even do full training today and be match ready for tomorrow (vs Middlesbrough), which is a big doubt."
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Andreas Christensen
Danish centre back Andreas Christensen had to be withdrawn during Chelsea ’s 2-1 UEFA Champions League victory on March 16 after just 33 minutes and then subsequently missed the 2-0 FA Cup quarter-final victory over Middlesbrough three days later.
However, Christensen was called up to Denmark’s recent international squad, although he failed to feature in both games due to still not being fit enough, and it still remains to be seen as to whether he has overcome his problems to feature in time for this Saturday.
On March 22, Denmark manager Kasper Hjulmand said: “He is definitely out of the picture against Holland, and then we try to see if we can look towards Tuesday, but it does not look so good right now."
Callum Hudson-Odoi
Callum Hudson-Odoi could finally make his long-awaited comeback from injury this weekend after being out for the majority of March with suspected Achilles tendon problems, which he picked up following his last appearance in a 2-0 FA Cup Fifth Round victory over Luton Town on March 2.
It was hoped that the winger would have returned prior to this weekend, with it being unclear as to how long his injury would keep him out for, but following the two week lay-off from action, there is the potential for him to be in contention once again against Brentford.
In his last update on March 15, Tuchel said: "With Reece and Callum, we will try to have them join in training later but this will be a very tight race."
Illnesses
Chelsea’s Spanish duo of Kepa Arrizabalaga and Saul Niguez have both suffered with illness in recent times, but it is hoped that the pair will have gotten over the worst of it in time to feature in the squad this weekend.
Kepa was left out of Chelsea’s squad for the FA Cup victory over Middlesbrough on March 19 through illness, and was not confirmed as positive for Covid-19, so it can be assumed that it isn’t too serious and he will return to the matchday squad this weekend.
Saul confirmed he had tested positive for Covid-19 following Chelsea’s Champions League victory over Lille on March 16, which explained his absence from the squad in France, although he will have made a full recovery by now and should be back on Saturday.
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 back in December.
The England international was ruled out for the season 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, and it looks as though Chilwell will have to wait until next season to come back into the Chelsea side once again.
