Heading into the weekend, the Chelsea FC team news for the next match is all positive! Yes, the midweek result against Paris Saint-Germain was about as negative as it gets, obviously, but we are now already on to previewing the home match against Newcastle United. And when it comes to the domestic league fixture, the narrative is not about who is newly injured, but instead, who is coming back from injury. Jamie Gittens and Estevao Willian could both make the matchday squad on Saturday.
Meanwhile we got an update on long-term injury absentee Levi Colwill, and it’s also a piece of good news.
Chelsea FC vs Newcastle United FYIs
Kickoff: Sat. March 14, 5:30pm, Stamford Bridge, London, UK
Premier League Position: Newcastle 12th, 39 points Chelsea 5th, 48 points
Premier League Form: Newcastle LWLLW Chelsea WDDLW
Google Result Probability: Newcastle win 24% Draw 23% Chelsea win 53%
Blues Team News
“If you look at our squad now, Levi is back in modified training,” Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior said on Tuesday. Colwill had previously been ruled out for the entire season, due to a knee injury, but now there is fresh hope that he could feature at some point, later on in the term. He is nowhere near returning to action right now, but maybe we do see him before Championship Sunday.
As for Gittens (thigh injury), he faces a late fitness test in order to make the squad here.
“Jamie is back,” Rosenior said on Tuesday. “We’re working really well in terms of our injury load, and that has to continue.”
Finally, Estevao is in the same boat as Gittens, as he’s also touch-and-go for this match.
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, RG.org and Ratings.org. 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 and the Washington Post.