Reece James will return, but Mason Mount will not be available for the game between Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday.
Chelsea will be eager to mount a comeback and book a spot in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals when they welcome Borussia Dortmund to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night. And Graham Potter has greeted a mixed bag of updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Reece James and Christian Pulisic have resumed training after recovering from their respective injuries. And Pulisic will be in the matchday squad against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday. But Potter will take a late call on James’s involvement.
But Mason Mount will not be available to take on Borussia Dortmund due to a suspension, which he accrued after accumulating too many yellow cards. In addition, Edouard Mendy (finger), Thiago Silva (knee), Cesar Azpilicueta (head), N’Golo Kante (hamstring), and Armando Broja (knee) remain on the sidelines.
During his pre-match press conference, Potter spoke about the availability of several players. And he addressed questions surrounding James, Pulisic, and Kante. On James and Pulisic, he said, “Reece we’ll make a decision on tomorrow. Christian is in the squad. He’s training well and looking good.”
Chelsea vs Borussia Dortmund Preview: Probable Lineups, Prediction, Tactics, Team News & Key Stats
On Kante, Potter said, “It’s too soon for N’Golo. He’s had two full training sessions, so too soon, but he’s looking good. We’re going to continue with that progress. It’s a complex one with him. He’s had a long time out.”
“He’s back in full training but then it’s how you get him back up to speed to play Champions League and Premier League football. That’s where he needs a bit of time with the group in full training, and then we need to build his minutes up. He won’t be able to go straight in for 90 minutes any time soon, but the fact he’s training and getting closer is exciting for everybody.”
With Kante still unavailable, Mateo Kovacic and Enzo Fernandez will form the central midfield pairing. And Kovacic will don the armband again for Chelsea on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Conor Gallagher, and Denis Zakaria will be on the bench.
Loftus-Cheek dropping to the bench means Reece James should return to the starting lineup as the right wing-back. And Ben Chilwell picks himself on the opposite flank. As for the defensive unit, with Benoit Badiashile unavailable, Trevoh Chalobah should return.
The 23-year-old will join Kalidou Koulibaly and Wesley Fofana at the back. And Kepa Arrizabalaga is an automatic starter between the sticks. Finally, Potter will unlikely tinker with the offensive unit. So Mykhaylo Mudryk will miss out again, with Kai Havertz, Raheem Sterling and Joao Felix starting in the final third.
Predicted Chelsea XI: Kepa; Chalobah, Koulibaly, Fofana; James, Kovacic, Fernandez, Chilwell; Sterling, Havertz, Felix
