“It’s positive” - Chelsea boss Graham Potter offers encouraging fitness update on 2 players ahead of Southampton game

Chelsea manager Graham Potter has delivered an encouraging update on the fitness of two key players ahead of their weekend clash against Southampton.

The Blues will take on Southampton, who are at rock bottom of the Premier League table, at home on Saturday (February 18). The Saints have been without a manager since parting ways with Nathan Jones.

Chelsea find themselves 10th in the league table at the moment and have struggled to meet expectations over the past year.

They suffered a 1-0 defeat against Borussia Dortmund in midweek in the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 clash.

Southampton, on the other hand, suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Wolverhampton Wanderers last week.

Ahead of the game, Chelsea manager Potter addressed the press and opened up on the availability of two of his key players.

Ben Chilwell, who recently made his comeback from a hamstring injury, suffered an ankle knock on Wednesday against Borussia Dortmund. Raheem Sterling has also been out with knee problems of late and missed the last two games.

Potter claimed that the two players could be part of the matchday squad if they can come through the training session on Friday. As quoted by Football.London, he said:

"It's positive, we're going to train later this afternoon. Provided they come through that there's a good chance they will be in the squad."

Sterling made a £47.5 million move to Chelsea in the summer from Manchester City but has not been able to live up to expectations. The England international has scored six goals and provided three assists in 23 games across competitions for the Blues.

Chilwell, on the other hand, has done an excellent job since his £45 million switch from Leicester City in 2020 but he has been susceptible to injuries. The Englishman has played just 946 minutes of football this season, having contributed with one goal and two assists.

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Joe Cole insists Graham Potter should restore ‘outstanding’ Chelsea star to playing XI

Chelsea legend and football pundit Joe Cole has urged Graham Potter to see Mason Mount as a key player in his side.

The England international was overlooked for the second consecutive match when the Blues faced Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

Acknowledging Mount's dip in form, Cole has urged Potter to restore him to the starting XI. Speaking to BT Sport (via ChelseaChronicle), he said:

“I feel like you’ve got to get Mason Mount in the team, particularly in difficult moments. You want personality. Sometimes you go with personalities above ability, although I think Mason Mount is more than capable of playing in this team. He’s outstanding."

He added:

“I think he’s a personality that would lift the crowd. They’ve got Southampton at the weekend at Stamford Bridge. They need to win, and they need to win well.”

Mount has contributed with just three goals and six assists in 30 games across competitions this season.