Chelsea will be hoping for a full squad of fit players as they return to Premier League action after Christmas, with Graham Potter hoping that the break can inspire an upturn in fortunes for his squad.
The Blues currently lie in ninth, but will have been boosted by the performances of some of their World Cup stars, with Morocco's Hakim Ziyech and Croatia's Mateo Kovacic both inspiring their teams to deep runs within the tournament. Kovacic and his Croatia side were knocked out on Tuesday night following a masterclass from Lionel Messi and Argentina in a 3-0 semi-final win.
His Croatia side were unable to beat Argentina and progress to their second successive World Cup final, but Kovacic impressed from the start throughout the tournament having played a substitute role during the 2018 tournament. However, he will not return to Chelsea just yet with the third-place play-off still to play.
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This is still a part of World Cup tradition, with other tournaments such as the European Championships not playing such a fixture. However, with a bronze medal on offer for the winner, Kovacic and his Croatia teammates will still be up for the challenge of adding to the second place they obtained after losing the final to France in 2018.
When his participation is over in the tournament, he will be expected to be given some time off by Graham Potter for some rest before returning to London ahead of a packed schedule which sees them play six matches in January.
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