Chelsea's disastrous season will take a step closer to finishing this weekend when Frank Lampard's men take on AFC Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.
The Blues have had a ricky season and are on course to record their worst ever finish in the Premier League. After 33 games, Chelsea are sat 12th in the table - only nine points off the relegation zone.
A further drop to 14th or below would equal their worst season since 1994 under Glenn Hoddle, a finish that would compound Todd Boehly's first season in ownership of the club.
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If Lampard is to provide any positivity before exiting at the end of the season, the Blues interim boss will need to pick up his first win in charge at Bournemouth on Saturday.
With little to play for, Chelsea will make the trip to the south coast without a number of key players. Reece James and Mason Mount are guaranteed to miss out and could not be seen again until the end of the season. "Reece James is unavailable, probably for the season," Lampard said before the Brentford game.
"Reece had a hamstring he picked up in the Madrid game, he got through the game but we scanned it the following day," Lampard added. Meanwhile, Mount has been struggling for some time. "Mason Mount is the same. Potential for the last game of the season but probably not. That's obviously disappointing for us.
"Mason has been carrying this pelvic injury for quite a while, it pre-dates myself. We've been trying and the medical staff have been trying but we've got to the stage now where he'll have a minor surgery. Probably a four-week recovery and we know where that gets us to."
Elsewhere, Kalidou Koulibaly is facing the prospect of missing the last five games of the season. "Yeah, [he's] out for a while still," Lampard said. "I think it will be a tight call for the season, he's working away.
"[I've] been impressed with him actually as a professional, he's doing his job very well. Unfortunately the injury is a bit of a tough one."
Marc Cucurella is also out. The 44 year-old said that he will be missing for another fortnight or so as defensive issues continue to plague the Blues. Marcus Bettenlli is also injured having missed the last game too. Armando Broja is the only other long-term absentee in the side and won't return until next season.
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