Chelsea will aim to put their midweek UEFA Champions League heartbreak behind them by progressing to the final of the FA Cup on Sunday when they face Crystal Palace at Wembley Stadium.
The Blues had beaten Real Madrid 3-2 in their quarter-final second leg on Tuesday but the hosts went through 5-4 on aggregate, although one positive that Thomas Tuchel can take from their exit is that there are no fresh injury concerns 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 on the sidelines.
Romelu Lukaku
Romelu Lukaku’s nightmare season back at Chelsea continued this week after he was ruled out for a second consecutive game through injury, as he suffers from a pain in his Achilles.
The Belgian featured as a substitute in last week’s first leg defeat to Madrid at Stamford Bridge, but it has not yet been decided whether his next appearance will come against the Eagles this weekend, or if he will continue to miss out.
Ahead of the Real Madrid game on Monday, Tuchel said: "Romelu will not travel due to his pain in the Achilles that he has felt recently."
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Ross Barkley
Midfielder Ross Barkley was also left out of Chelsea’s squad to travel to Madrid on Tuesday and it was revealed that he was struggling with illness, but it has not been confirmed as Covid-19.
Nonetheless, Barkley was too unwell to feature and depending on his condition, he may also miss out again this weekend, especially if he has been unable to return to training as a result.
Ahead of facing Real Madrid, Tuchel said on Monday: “Ross is sick, however, and will not travel with us later."
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 nine games in all competitions, and it is expected that he will be out for a little while longer yet.
In Tuchel’s latest update on April 8, he said: "With Callum, it doesn’t look too good and it is not a matter of days at the moment, it's more a matter of weeks. It’s a shame because it’s a setback."
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 that 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 looking like he will have to wait until next season to come back into the Chelsea side once again.
