Chelsea return to Premier League action today against London rivals Tottenham in search of a much-needed Premier League win after going four games in all competitions without a victory. Graham Potter has seen pressure increase on his job in west London after a barren spell in 2023 where the Blues have scored just four goals, resulting in one victory.
The Chelsea head coach made a number of changes last weekend for the clash against Southampton after their Champions League defeat to Borussia Dortmund, with Reece James and Thiago Silva notable omissions. The duo are expected to return to the fold after Potter revealed the gruelling schedule meant they, Mykhailo Mudryk, Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech were all in need of a rest.
At the beginning of the year, Chelsea were losing players to injury in almost every game, but recently Potter has been able to slowly integrate several key first-team stars back into the team.
Armando Broja remains as the obvious long-term absentee. There is also no planned timeframe on a return for Edouard Mendy, while Cesar Azpilicueta will be absent adhering to concussion protocols after suffering a scary head injury last weekend. But, two players still on the injury list look set to make a return soon, each taking significant steps in their recovery progress this week.
However, the London derby likely comes too soon for the duo to make their matchday squad return. With that said, here is the full list of players Potter can choose his matchday squad from as the Blues boss ponders over recalls for James, Silva, Mudryk and Havertz.
Goalkeepers: Kepa Arrizabalaga, Marcus Bettinelli, Lucas Bergstrom.
Defenders: Thiago Silva, Benoit Badiashile, Trevoh Chalobah, Ben Chilwell, Reece James, Kalidou Koulibaly, Marc Cucurella, Wesley Fofana.
Midfielders: Enzo Fernandez, Mateo Kovacic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mason Mount, Denis Zakaria, Conor Gallagher, Carney Chukwuemeka, Lewis Hall.
Forwards: Joao Felix, Mykhailo Mudryk, Hakim Ziyech, Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke, David Datro Fofana, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Raheem Sterling.
