Chelsea have confirmed that both midfielder Kai Havertz and defender Thiago Silva have returned to full training ahead of Saturday's meeting with Southampton.
Havertz has featured just twice under Thomas Tuchel, missing the last four games in all competitions because of a knock, and he was joined on the sidelines by Silva after the Brazilian pulled a hamstring in the 1-0 win over Tottenham.
Silva has missed the last three games, but his absence could soon be coming to an end after Chelsea revealed on Instagram that both he and Havertz had re-joined the rest of the squad in first-team training.Both will now have a few days to prepare for Saturday's meeting with Southampton, but it is unclear whether manager Tuchel will risk either player.
The boss confirmed in the buildup to the 2-0 win over Newcastle (via football.london) that the goal was for Silva to make his return against Southampton, although with Andreas Christensen playing so well in his place, Tuchel may elect to keep Silva on the sidelines for a little while longer.
As for Havertz, there has been no official word on when the German will be brought back into the fold. He had been battling COVID-19 earlier in the season and was not at full fitness before this latest setback.
We are yet to really see how Havertz will fit into Tuchel's side. In the number ten roles, it has been Mason Mount and Timo Werner who have impressed, and both can expect to keep their spots in the starting lineup for the foreseeable future.
Alongside Havertz and Silva, Tuchel may also be without striker Tammy Abraham, who departed the win over Newcastle with an ankle injury early on.
As noted by The Telegraph, early scans of Abraham's injury suggested it was not as bad as first feared, but it seems unlikely that the 23-year-old will be back in action so soon after the injury.
Instead, Olivier Giroud could lead the line. The Frenchman netted Chelsea's opener against Newcastle, and with Werner excelling in a wider role, Giroud may be the only option as a central striker.
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Source : 90min