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Chelsea gaffer Thomas Tuchel gave an update on the squad ahead of the Blues' last Champions League group stage clash against FC Zenit.
The German revealed that Ben Chilwell will be sidelined until at least the turn of the year following an ACL injury. Trevoh Chalobah, too, will witness the action from the sidelines because of his hamstring injury.
Here's what Tuchel said:
"Ben Chilwell is out, N'Golo is out, Trevoh Chalobah is out, Mateo Kovacic is out, and Jorginho is out."
The Chelsea gaffer stated how their clash against FC Zenit isn't a major concern. Tuchel's men have already qualified for the knockout stages of the European competition.
However, at the weekend, Chelsea will face a ferocious Leeds United side who will leave no stone unturned in handing the Blues a successive defeat in the Premier League.
Thomas Tuchel further added:
"We had a bit of an acute overload due to injuries and the schedule. Due to our injuries in some position, like central midfield, when we struggle. The game tomorrow is not the problem, it's more the game that comes up on the Saturday.
"We had an early game against West Ham and then a late game against Zenit. We had a day off and good training session today. We can let anybody play of the 17 players plus goalkeepers we have. The problem is the next match on Saturday because we will lose time to sleep, arrive back very early on Thursday, and then we face an intense team in Leeds who have prepared to face this match."
Chelsea's injury list a major concern as they're toppled as league leaders
While Mateo Kovacic has returned to training, he will need some more time to recuperate, as he tested positive for COVID-19.
Chelsea might be without Marcos Alonso and Kai Havertz, Timo Werner, and even Romelu Lukaku in their game against FC Zenit.
Saul Niguez might take over Jorginho's role in midfield in the game against Zenit. Ruben Loftus-Cheek has looked pretty solid in midfield and might accompany the Spaniard.
N'Golo Kante suffered a knee injury against Juventus, and so the Frenchman won't be in the squad for Chelsea's Premier League clash. However, it remains to be seen if he'll be included in the squad to face Leeds United on December 11.
Chelsea lost their second game in the PL against West Ham United. After dominating the domestic league for weeks, Chelsea have now slipped to third position.
They're behind Liverpool (34 points) and Manchester City (35 points). All three teams will be in action on December 11. The Reds will take on Aston Villa while Manchester City go head-to-head against Wolves.
