As Chelsea FC get ready to journey to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, they have a new fitness concern albeit not a major one. Winger Mykhailo Mudryk is battling a virus and will miss out on this match. He joins the trio of Blues who are already in the infirmary, for the longer-term: Omari Kellyman (thigh), Reece James (hamstring) and Wesley Fofana (hamstring).
Other than that, Blues boss Enzo Maresca has no selection concerns here.
London Derby FYIs
Tottenham Hotspur vs Chelsea FC
Kickoff: Sun. December 8, 4:30 pm, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, UK
Starting XI Predictions: Tottenham Hotspur Chelsea
Win Probability: Draw 24% Tottenham Hotspur 30% Chelsea 46%
Spurs Team News
The situation is very different for Tottenham, as Ange Postecoglu could be without the services of up to eight players. No. 1 goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario (fractured ankle) is done for the season while Micky van de Ven (hamstring), Wilson Odobert (thigh), Mikey Moore (illness), and Richarlison (thigh) are all ruled out of this one.
Meanwhile Rodrigo Bentancur remains suspended for this one. And there is a new addition to the Tottenham treatment room- Ben Davies (thigh) is set to undergo a scan to assess the extent of his injury, and once that’s done, we should get a timeline on that.
The news is much better for Cristian Romero (toe), who is back in training. He could be in contention to return for this London derby.
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.