Thiago Silva, Kante, Hudson-Odoi – Chelsea team news and injury latest ahead of West Brom clash


The international break is over, and club football is finally returning with Chelsea hosting West Brom at Stamford Bridge in the weekend’s early kick-off in the Premier League.

The Blues will be hoping that the extended break will not have interrupted their momentum too badly, with Thomas Tuchel’s side currently on a 15-game unbeaten run in all competitions.

It’s the start of an important run of fixtures for Chelsea, with the Champions League quarter-finals against Porto and the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City coming up in the next three weeks, so Tuchel will be hoping to have a full contingent to choose from as he also tries to keep up the pressure in the race for a top-four spot.

With that said, here is the latest injury news for Chelsea.

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Thiago Silva

The centre-back has played a big role this season following his free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain last summer, but has been out since the beginning of February with a thigh injury – though the Blues have performed well in his absence.

However, it looks like the Brazilian centre-back could be in contention to play against West Brom after posting an update on his Instagram page showing him back in action on the training field.

Jorginho

The midfielder picked up a knee injury in the run-up to the international break, with Italy boss Roberto Mancini confirming that the Blues midfielder would not be fit enough to feature in either of the country’s matches during the break.

It was decided that the 29-year-old would not be risked for Italy, but whether he is able to recover in time for West Brom is uncertain, and with a huge game against Porto in midweek it could be down to Tuchel to decide whether to risk him.

Edouard Mendy

The keeper did not join up with Senegal over the international break due to a planned dental procedure.

However, the two-week break looks to have given the 29-year-old enough time to fully recover to take his place in goal against the Baggies.

N’Golo Kante

A worry for Chelsea after returning to the club during the break with a hamstring problem.

The injury is said to be minor after the 30-year-old played the entirety of France’s World Cup Qualifier against Ukraine before feeling some discomfort after the match.

Kante has been a regular this season under both Frank Lampard and Tuchel, so any absence would be a blow, particularly if Jorginho is not fit enough to face West Brom, either.

Callum Hudson-Odoi

Another player who returned to Cobham early from international break, Hudson-Odoi is struggling with a shoulder injury.

The attacker picked up the problem in the build-up to England Under-21s’ fixture against Portugal, and though it was hoped that he would be able to play a part in their third group game against Croatia, manager Aidy Boothroyd revealed that the 20-year-old had left before the game.

“Callum is definitely out,” Boothroyd told reporters. “He has gone back to his club.”

Given that there was hope Hudson-Odoi could feature in the final game of the group stage, it is not thought to be a serious shoulder injury for the Chelsea youngster, though it seems likely that he will miss the clash against West Brom.

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Tammy Abraham

Tammy Abraham has returned to Chelsea training over the international break after missing out on a place in the England squad due to an ankle injury that has seen him miss over a month of football.

“Honestly I’m a bit concerned because it’s still the pain from the tackle against Burnley,” Tuchel said in March.

“So we’re talking about a long time now where he does not really feel 100% free and comfortable; I can see it in training.

“Even if he finishes training, I see that it’s not 100%, that he has trust or feels totally free.”





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