Chelsea visits Southampton FC in midweek for a matchup of two sides with player absentee situations that are as polar opposite as it gets. Wesley Fofana is Chelsea’s newest fitness concern, as he’s set to miss about four-to-six weeks with a hamstring injury. However, it is just Fofana and Reece James (also a hamstring problem) who are in the Chelsea infirmary right now.
When you shift gears to the south coast club, it is an entirely different story.
Chelsea at Southampton FC FYIs
Kick off: 7:45pm, Wednesday, December 4, St. Mary’s Stadium, Southampton, UK
Chelsea Preview Content: Team News Starting XI Prediction
PL Position: Chelsea 3rd, 25 pts Southampton FC 20th, 5pts
Form Guide: Chelsea WDDWW Southampton FC LWLLD
Google Result Probability: Chelsea 73% Southampton 11% Draw 16%
Southampton FC Team News
They could be sans up to 11 players, for various reasons. Chelsea outcast and loanee Lesley Ugochukwu is officially ruled out due to the fact that he cannot feature against his parent club. Meanwhile the trio of Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Tyler Dibling and Flynn Downes are all suspended here.
Ex-Arsenal shot-stopper Aaron Ramsdale (wrist/hand) remains out as a long-term injury absentee while midfielders Will Smallbone and Adam Lallana will miss out due to thigh injuries.
Ebere Paul Onuachu (unspecified), Ross Stewart (calf), Jan Bednarek (knee) and Gavin Bazunu (calf) all remain out injured as well.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.