Chelsea FC visits Manchester City in what will no doubt be the headliner fixture of the next Premier League weekend. And we have Blues team news aplenty, with the latest updates on the likes of Thiago Silva, Robert Sanchez, Romeo Lavia, Benoit Badiashile, Marc Cucurella, Reece James and more.
Let’s dive right in, ahead of this blockbuster fixture on Saturday afternoon.
Chelsea FC at Manchester City FYIs
Kickoff: Saturday Feb. 17 , 5:30 pm, Etihad Stadium
Team News: Chelsea Man City
Starting XI Predictions: Chelsea FC Man City
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
PL Form, Standing Chelsea WWLLW, 10th, 34 pts Manchester City WWWWW, 2nd, 52 pts
Google Result Probability: Chelsea 12% Draw 16% Manchester City 72%
Chelsea FC Team News
Let’s start with Silva, as the Brazilian central defender had to exit early on Monday night. Silva suffered a groin injury, while blocking a shot, in the win over Crystal Palace. The extent of the injury, and thus the timeline for his return, is not known at this time.
Sticking with groin injuries to defenders, Benoit Badiashile will apparently be sidelined much longer than had been initially anticipated. At this point, he is now effectively ruled out to mid-March at the earliest.
More bad news for midfielder Romeo Lavia, a summer transfer window addition who has only made one cameo appearance this entire season. We won’t see him on the pitch any time soon.
“He is not training with the team,” manager Mauricio Pochettino said earlier this week.
“He is still recovering. But no, no, impossible (that he could be fit for the EFL Cup Final against Liverpool at the end of this month). Still not on the pitch.”
Yikes! Dude just can’t catch a break. The news is much better for starting goalkeeper Robert Sanchez- he’s now partaking in partial team training, and stepping up his reconditioning. He won’t be ready in time for this clash, but he should be available again in the next two or three weeks.
Meanwhile long-term injury absentees Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella and Lesley Ugochukwu all remain out indefinitely.
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 Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Twitter.