Chelsea are beginning to see the majority of their players return from injury and after the international break, Enzo Maresca could have a fully fit squad to choose from
The final international break of the season is almost upon us as Chelsea look to finish off Enzo Maresca’s debut campaign with the club in style.
The Blues have a crucial second-leg clash in the Conference League round of 16 to come on Thursday evening, with Copenhagen travelling to Stamford Bridge after the west Londoners edged the first game 2-1 in Denmark last week. Three days after that, Chelsea make the short trip to north London to take on Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium – in what is a huge match in the Premier League for both sides.
The game versus the Gunners will be the Blues’ 29th of the Premier League season and with Manchester City hot on their tails, defeat is not an option against their fierce rivals. Back-to-back victories against Southampton and Leicester City at Stamford Bridge have seen Maresca’s side climb back into the top four as they bid to return to the Champions League after a couple of seasons away from Europe’s elite competition.
However, the wins against the Saints and the Foxes – who are both Championship-bound – were very much expected and the schedule for the remainder of the season looks more difficult. A trip to Arsenal is never easy, even though the Gunners have been in a bit of a slump in the league recently as they have fallen off in their bid to hunt Liverpool down in the title race.
The last time Chelsea won at the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League came back in August 2021, with goals from Romelu Lukaku and Reece James enough for the Blues on that day, in what was a dominant display from the visitors. Maresca, though, is yet to beat any of the top five in the Premier League this season, so a win on Sunday afternoon would be a statement from his side.
After Arsenal, awaits Tottenham (H), Brentford (A), Ipswich Town (H), Fulham (A), Everton (H), Liverpool (H), Newcastle United (A), Manchester United (H) and Nottingham Forest (A). After the two-week international break, though, Chelsea should have – all being well – a more or less fully fit squad to choose from for the remainder of the season.
Maresca is expected to welcome back Nicolas Jackson, Marc Guiu and Noni Madueke from muscular injuries that have kept them out of action for the past few weeks. Jackson and Guiu both suffered hamstring problems in the win against West Ham United on transfer deadline day last month, while Madueke limped off with a similar issue in the defeat to Brighton on February 14.
The trio are stepping up their recoveries and could be available for the home match with Tottenham on April 3 at Stamford Bridge. Omari Kellyman, meanwhile, returned for Chelsea’s Development Squad in their victory over Ipswich last Friday. Kellyman was a second-half substitute as he made his first appearance since August after a lengthy layoff with a hamstring injury.
The 19-year-old signed from Aston Villa last summer in a deal understood to be around £19million, but is yet to make an appearance for the first team. Kellyman likes to operate as a No.10 and can be an option late in games should an attacker need to come off, although the teenager has ambitions to become much more than that for Chelsea in the future.
Either way, the options are beginning to grow for Maresca at Stamford Bridge, with Wesley Fofana making his long-awaited return at the weekend with the Frenchman starting at right-back in the win against his former club Leicester. Fofana lasted 73 minutes for the Blues before being taken off for Trevoh Chalobah in what would have been a pre-planned change from the head coach to ease the defender back into action.
James missed the game at the weekend, but football.london understands that was more of a precaution than anything else with the captain suffering with a fever in the hours before the match. Romeo Lavia made his return to the squad with the Belgian an unused substitute in the victory in west London.
