On Sunday afternoon, Chelsea will host London rivals Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge in one of the Premier League’s most exciting matches.
The Blues are now third in the rankings, eight points ahead of fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, although Antonio Conte’s side has four games in hand on the visitors due to a number of recent fixtures being postponed.
Team News
The news that Trevor Chalobah and Reece James have both returned to training after recent injuries have given Chelsea hope, although neither player will be considered for selection this weekend.
Following knee surgery, Ben Chilwell will miss the rest of the season, while Andreas Christensen (COVID-19) and Edouard Mendy (international duty) will also miss out on the home side.
Tuchel has a number of significant decisions to make in terms of team selection, and a return to a back three might give Malang Sarr a chance to play, while Timo Werner and Mateo Kovacic, who were both replacements against Brighton, could be in line for starts this weekend.
Eric Dier has returned to Spurs’ squad following injury, while Son Heung-min and Cristian Romero will be out until after the winter break.
Conte has acknowledged that his team has a couple of “new ailments,” but has not named individuals affected, as the Italian has to examine his squad’s condition after the Leicester match.
Despite his brace against Leicester, Bergwijn could be left out of the starting XI, with Lucas Moura and Harry Kane likely to form a front two, while Harry Winks and Oliver Skipp could form a midfield five; Dier should also return to defense, possibly replacing Japhet Tanganga.
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Kepa; Sarr, Silva, Rudiger; Azpilicueta, Kante, Kovacic, Alonso; Mount, Lukaku, Werner
Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:
Lloris; Sanchez, Dier, Davies; Emerson, Skipp, Winks, Hojbjerg, Reguilon; Kane, Lucas
