Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior could see as many as three players return from injury from Tuesday night when the team hosts Leeds United. Reece James, FIlip Jorgensen and Romeo Lavia are all in this category, where passing a late fitness test would bring them back into the mix.
Let’s start with the captain, James, who has an unspecified issue.
Leeds United at Chelsea FYIs
Kick-off time: 7:30pm GMT, Stamford Bridge, London, UK
PL Position: Leeds United 16th, 29 pts Chelsea FC 5th, 43 pts
Google Result Probability: Leeds United win 17% Draw 22% Chelsea win 61%
PL Form Guide: Leeds United LWDLW Chelsea FC LWWWW
Blues Team News
When Rosenior last spoke on him, he was touch and go for Saturday’s eventual rout over Wolverhampton Wanderers. We’ll see if James trains on Sunday or Monday. Moving on to Jorgensen, his issue is also unspecified/undisclosed.
“He’s close,” Rosenior said back on Jan. 31. “He’s close to being fit and hopefully it’ll be either Arsenal (the EFL Cup semfinal last week) or the game after this (the Wolves win).”
Well, it was neither of those games, actually, as Jorgensen didn’t make the matchday squad for either one. So it stands to reason that he finally will here.
And then finally, with Lavia, one of the most oft-injured players in Chelsea history, maybe this will be a comeback game for him.
“Romeo is in a really good place, and we just have to make sure this last stage of his rehab is really, really good,” Rosenior said on Jan. 30.
The last stage is obviously featuring in a game, so maybe it finally happens here.
Otherwise the Chelsea injury/fitness availability situation remains the same. Tosin Adarabioyo, Jamie Gittens, Dario Essugo and Levi Colwill remain out due to injury.
Mykhailo Mudryk remains suspended by the club.
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.