Chelsea will be without Malo Gusto who hasn't trained all week for their Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Middlesbrough on Tuesday night. Chelsea confirmed the £31million signing from Lyon is undergoing rehabilitation in their list of injured players.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino also confirmed French forward Christopher Nkunku was still not ready following his issues with a hip complication.
The Chelsea manager told the press: "No. No, he's not available for tomorrow. It's a shame but he's in recovery. I hope as soon as possible he can be ready again and help the team."
Asked if the injury to the former RB Leipzig man was a big deal, the Chelsea boss added: "No, it always happens, no? With long-term injuries, finding the balance is the most difficult thing and he suffered a little bit with his hip. Some problems there and now he's recovering. Not a big issue but we're waiting on the possibility again for him to be ready for the group."
It's not all bad news though, with Ben Chilwell, Carney Chukwuemeka and Benoit Badiashile all returning to full fitness and expected to be part of the squad tomorrow night. Chelsea are desperate to reach the final and Pochettino admitted it's an opportunity they don't want to miss.
He concluded: "It is a passport to go to the final, to visit Wembley. It's a really important game for us. We need to show that it's really important for the club, for us, for everyone. We want to be in the final but first of all, we need to beat Middlesbrough, a very good team that in the first leg we cannot beat."
Chelsea will go into the game with 10 players missing, so with that in mind, here is how we anticipate Pochettino will set up his team.
1. Djordje Petrovic- 6
He was a spectator for most of the game but then made good saves when he had to.
2. Thiago Silva- 8
Used his experience and quality to calm the backline all game. What he didn't have in pace, he replaced with technique
3. Axel Disasi- 8
Strong performance again from the French defender. Looked like prime Ivanovic when he powered in to score Chelsea's third.
4. Levi Colwill- 8
Overcame a nervous start to dominate the game. Covered for Thiago and looked unbeatable mostly.