Chelsea have been handed three huge boosts ahead of their clash with Real Madrid. Los Blancos will welcome Frank Lampard's side to the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday evening in the Champions League quarter-final first-leg.
Speaking to in his pre-match press conference, the Blues' interim boss declared that Thiago Silva, Mason Mount and N'Golo Kante have all nursed their respective knocks and are now available for selection in the Spanish capital. The club's abundance of injuries appear to be a thing of the past – although Lampard has even more players to choose from now.
The return of Silva will be huge for the west London outfit, who have struggled to keep goals out of the net since his absence. And, if Lampard can get a tune out of Mount then Chelsea suddenly look well positioned to launch an attack on Carlo Ancelotti's side.
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With that said, football.london has rounded up the latest injury news from west London ahead of Chelsea's blockbuster European clash in Spain.
Thiago Silva
Silva was forced off with a knee injury in the Blues' clash with Tottenham. The following Tuesday, Chelsea released a statement detailing his diagnosis. The time off has been detailed as roughly six weeks, meaning he should return to action in early April.
Now, the centre-back has edged closer to a return to action after returning to training on Monday. He was pictured in training with his teammates and Lampard will be hoping the Brazilian will continue his recovery in Spain.
What Lampard said: "They [Silva, Mount and Kante] are all fit. They are all in the squad. The three players you mentioned are good and are here."
Injury: Knee
Expected return date: Real Madrid (A) - April 12
Mason Mount
Mount has been nursing various minor injuries recently, having last played for Chelsea in February. The midfielder trained as normal this week ahead of the clash with Real Madrid.
What Lampard said: "They [Silva, Mount and Kante] are all fit. They are all in the squad. The three players you mentioned are good and are here."
Injury: Pelvis
Expected return date: Real Madrid (A) - April 12
N'Golo Kante
Kante was omitted from the travelling Chelsea squad to face Wolves over the weekend and, despite fears of an injury, the midfielder was rested as a precaution. The France international has only recently returned from a hamstring issue which he picked up in August.
The 32-year-old enjoyed a brief cameo off the bench against Aston Villa before leading Chelsea out against Liverpool with the captain's armband. After missing the clash at Molineux, Lampard has declared that Kante will be ready and raring to go in the Spanish capital.
What Lampard said: "They [Silva, Mount and Kante] are all fit. They are all in the squad. The three players you mentioned are good and are here."
Injury: Hamstring
Expected return date: Real Madrid (A) - April 12
Raheem Sterling
After scoring a crucial goal against Borussia Dortmund, Sterling faced another brief spell out of the team with former boss Graham Potter confirming the winger had a fresh fitness concern. He was also left out of Gareth Southgate's England squad for the international break as a precaution.
His spell on the treatment table is behind him though after featuring off the bench against Liverpool and starting against Wolves.
What Lampard said: N/A
Injury: Hamstring
Expected return date: Returned
Cesar Azpilicueta
Azpilicueta sustained a concussion against Southampton following a collision with striker Sekou Mara. The defender left the pitch on a stretcher and was taken to hospital but he's on the mend now as he eyes a return in the coming weeks.
What Lampard said: N/A
Injury: Concussion
Expected return date: April
Edouard Mendy
In January, Chelsea confirmed that Mendy underwent surgery on a fractured finger which he sustained during training. After an extended period of time on the sidelines, the Senegal international appears to be back in contention for selection.
What Lampard said: N/A
Injury: Finger
Expected return date: Returned
Armando Broja
Chelsea have been without Broja for a while now after the striker suffered a knee injury in a mid-season friendly against Aston Villa. The 20-year-old screamed in pain following a collision with Ezri Konsa and he was subsequently stretchered off the field of play.
He looked to be in considerable pain and was seen to be clutching his leg as he was tended to by medical staff. The Albania international had no history of knee injuries and his injury is a major blow.
Broja has been expected to be out for at least the remainder of the season after learning that he needed surgery to fix a ruptured cruciate ligament in his right knee, football.london reported at the time. However, he's recently been pictured back in individual training at Cobham, albeit mostly gym work.
What Lampard said: N/A
Injury: Knee
Expected return date: Summer 2023
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