CHELSEA host Wolves at Stamford Bridge for a huge Premier League clash TONIGHT.
The Blues are winless in five Premier League matches and find themselves outside the top four ahead of kick-off and are facing an injury crisis.
Enzo Maresca will have up to NINE Chelsea stars missing as they face a struggling Wolves side, with the likes of Cole Palmer, Levi Colwill and Romeo Lavia among those who missed training on Friday.
New Wolves boss Vitor Pereira had an enjoyable honeymoon period after Wanderers picked up seven points from his opening three points, but form has slumped in recent weeks following back-to-back 3-0 defeats in the Premier League.
- Kick off time: 8pm GMT
- TV channel: Sky Sports Main Event/Premier League
- Live stream: NOW/Sky Sports app
- Chelsea team: To follow…
- Wolves team: To follow…
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Wolves last 6
In contrast, Wolves have relatively picked up the pace since the appointment of their new head caoch Vítor Pereira.
In their last six, they’ve been able to amass the same amount of wins (3) as they did in the 18 prior under predecessor Gary O’Neil.
The stern start as tailed off in recent weeks with the three-game suspesion of Matheus Cunha proving noticable.
Current form:
- Dec 22 – Leister City 0-3 Wolves
- Dec 26 – Wolves 2-0 Mancheseter United
- Dec 29 – Tottenham 2-2 Wolves
- Jan 6 – Wolves 0-3 Nottingham Foorrest
- Jan 11 – Bristol City 1-2 Wolves
- Jan 15 – Newcastle 3-0 Wolves
Chelsea last 6
This time last month Chelsea were being hailed as serious title contenders after five straight Premier League wins and nine in 10 matches in all competitions.
While Chelsea were unbeatable at that stage, they haven’t been able to find a win since.
The Blues now have just three points in their last five (very winnable) Premier League games and their only win since December 20 has been the 5-0 FA Cup win over League Two Morecambe.
Current form:
- Dec 22 – Everton 0-0 Chelsea
- Dec 26 – Chelsea 1-2 Fulham
- Dec 30 – Ipswich 2-0 Chelsea
- Jan 4 – Crystal Palace 1-1 Chelsea
- Jan 11 – Chelsea 5-0 Morecambe (FA Cup)
- Jan 14 – Chelsea 2-2 Bournemouth
Credit: Getty Good sisters
Chelsea have reportedly agreed to sign Mamadou Sarr from sister club Strasbourg.
The Blues have spent £12.5million on the centre-back, 19, but RMC state he will stay in Ligue 1 until the summer.
Chelsea already have three players on loan at the club – goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, defender Caleb Wiley and midfielder Andrey Santos.
Terms on a contract are already said to have been agreed, but not yet signed.
Noni anniversary
Today marks the two year anniversary of Noni Madueke signing for Chelsea.
The winger joined from Dutch club PSV Eindhoven in January 2023 and has cemented himself as one of the better deals conducted during the chaotic wheeling and dealing period of the club.
Madueke, 22, is Chelsea’s third most productive player in the league this season and will surely provide sufficient deputy for the absence of Cole Palmer this evening.
Credit: Reuters Gittens enquiry
As for who could come in for the Blues, Jamie Gittens seems to be the main topic of interest.
The Borussia Dortmund winger has been in electric form this season so far, with 11 goals and five assists, to the alert of top English clubs back home.
Fabrizio Romano has reported that Chelsea made formal enquiry for the 20-year-old last week, while Liverpool also sent their scouts several times to follow his progress.
One that will certainly rumble on.
Credit: Rex Italy interest for Chillwell
One player who will almost certainly not be featuring for Chelsea this weekend is outcast Ben Chilwell.
The left-back hasn’t made a single Premier League or Europa League appearance under Enzo Maresca this season.
And Italian journalist Alfredo Pedulla claims Serie A giants Juventus have emerged as leading contenders.
Credit: PA How Chelsea could line up against Wolves
Chelsea are set to be forced into a makeshift starting XI when they take on Wolves tonight, with star man Cole Palmer set to miss out through injury.
The Blues have been hit by a wave of injuries going into the crunch Premier League clash.
With Chelsea missing up to nine players, SunSport have looked at the players available to Enzo Maresca.
Here’s how the Blues could line up on Monday:
Wolves worries
Chelsea aren’t the only side with injury concerns, of course.
Vitor Pereira could be without star man Matheus Cunha, who was ill at the end of last week.
The Brazilian, who has 10 goals this season, was another player who missed training on Friday.
Pereira said on Friday: “Today, he was out of the training because he got the flu.
“He’s a bit sick, and I hope tomorrow he will be on the pitch.
“Then, it’s a possibility to be in the next game.”
Again, there has been no update since then from the club.
Toti Gomes and Boubacar Traore are close to returning but aren’t expected to be fit for the Chelsea match.
Sasa Kalajdzic, Yerson Mosquera and Enso Gonzalez aren’t due back for weeks.
Credit: Getty Others missing
It’s not just Palmer that could miss the crunch clash against Wolves.
Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile are both longer-term injury concerns, as is Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
Mykhailo Mudryk is out indefinitely due to his drug case.
The more pressing concerns, alongside Palmer, are Levi Colewill, Enzo Fernandez and Romeo Lavia.
All three started the draw with Bournemouth but we also left out of training on Friday.
Maresca said: “[Along with Palmer] Levi was also not in the session today, Enzo wasn’t in the session today, Romeo wasn’t in the session today. “So, we have three or four players who are doubts for Monday’s game because of the last game.”
We’ll bring you any and all updates on those players as soon as we hear them.
Credit: Getty
‘Cole is a doubt’
Maresca revealed on Friday that Palmer had missed training and was unsure if he was going to train over the weekend.
There has been no update from the club since.
At the time, Maresca revealed: “Cole is a doubt.
“The first half [of the last game] they kicked him so he didn’t train today.
“We don’t know if he will train in the next two days.”
Palmer has scored or assisted 20 of Chelsea’s 41 Premier League goals this season and leads his team-mates in both goals (14) and assists (6).
“We rely on Cole because he’s a big player,” Maresca added.
“We prefer to play with Cole but in case he has an injury or a problem, then we will find a solution.”
Credit: Getty Good morning!
Hello and welcome to our (very) early coverage of Chelsea’s Premier League clash with Wolves.
Kick-off is not until much later – 8pm – but with so much speculation surrounding Chelsea’s injury crisis, we thought we’d treat you all to an early start.
Chelsea fans will know the trouble they are in by now, Enzo Maresca may have as many as NINE players missing.
Cole Palmer is one of those and Blues supporters will be sweating on his fitness.
The Chelsea star, as well as Levi Colwill, Enzo Fernandez and Romeo Lavia, were all held out of training on Friday and are facing late fitness tests.
Credit: PA
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
