Chelsea have had limited time to prepare for their Premier League clash against Brighton this weekend after the Champions League quarter-final defeat to Real Madrid took place on Wednesday. With Thursday likely set aside as a day off or for the Chelsea squad to travel back to London, the players returned to Cobham training ground for their only session ahead of Saturday's game.
One player missing from the session would have been Koulibaly, with interim boss Frank Lampard revealing his hamstring injury will see him miss the next two games. His confirmed absence will likely serve as a great opportunity for several other Chelsea defenders to stake their claim for a spot in the team, with Lampard also throwing down the gauntlet to other members on the fringes of the first-team squad.
"I want to be part of a process in this period where players have an opportunity," Lampard said in his pre-Brighton press conference. "If they train, if they deserve to play, then they get an opportunity on the pitch and they can show what they can do.
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"Tomorrow [Saturday] will be an opportunity for some players who didn't play in the Champions League, possibly didn't play at the weekend, to come in because it's a game where we absolutely need freshness and energy as well. So every opportunity, they should take."
With that said, football.london has taken a look at the key things spotted in Chelsea training the day before a significant league clash against European-chasing Brighton.
Kante absence worry
Just as the injury woes look to have lessened at Chelsea, a fresh issue could be on the horizon involving N'Golo Kante. The all-action central midfielder only returned to the matchday squad on March 18 against Everton and he has since featured in key fixtures Liverpool and Real Madrid.
In between those games was an away visit to Wolves where Kante remained on the bench. Four days later he played 75 minutes against Madrid and didn't appear to suffer any fresh blow, but he was a notable absentee from the latest set of training images.
Considering Kante has only recently returned from a long-term absence, he could have been part of an indoor recovery session instead. However, if the 31-year-old is suffering with a fresh injury concern, it would be a monumental blow to Chelsea's end-of-season hopes.
Mudryk form plan
Mykhailo Mudryk's start to life in west London has been far from smooth. The £62million January signing snubbed a move to Arsenal for Chelsea but has struggled significantly to achieve consistent minutes.
One winter window signing who has had the opposite effect is Enzo Fernandez. Chelsea's record-breaking arrival has started every game since joining the club on deadline day, with his midfield performances showcasing why Chelsea paid over £100million for his services.
The Blues hierarchy will be hoping Mudryk can reach the standards of Fernandez and to achieve that, the duo appear to be developing a close bond. In the latest batch of training photos, the pair were snapped laughing together with Fernandez placing one arm around Mudryk and the other on his sternum.
Aubameyang focus
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could be one of the many beneficiaries of Lampard's team selection hint for Brighton. The forward came on for a 23-minute cameo against Wolves for Kai Havertz, with the German international also benched for the Real Madrid clash.
The 33-year-old's omission from the Champions League knockout stage squad meant Joao Felix and Raheem Sterling were the chosen front two. However, that partnership struggled to have an impact, which could set Aubameyang up for a starting XI return.
Perhaps sensing his opportunity, in all of the training images that included Aubameyang, the former Arsenal man had his head down looking focused on the task at hand. Aubameyang's last start was over six months ago against the Gunners with only 154 Premier League minutes coming his way since then.
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