Chelsea are flying high after picking up a comfortable win against Leicester City but the Blues cannot afford to lose their focus as they face Juventus up next.
Chelsea take on the Serie A side in the Champions League in midweek and the Blues need to pick up a win if they wish to claim the top spot in their group.
Going into this matchweek, the London outfit are sitting second in Group H – three points behind leaders Juventus meaning a 2-0 win should be enough for them to move up the ladder.
Juve might be struggling in the Serie A but they have been on a roll in the UCL, winning nine out of their 10 games in this particular competition. So, Tuchel’s side will not have it easy on Tuesday night.
The Stamford Bridge boss will also have one eye on their next Premier League game against Manchester United so there’s a slight chance that Tuchel will rotate his squad in midweek. While the regular starters will still play but the injury-prone players could be starting on the bench.
Chelsea team news vs Juventus:
Trevoh Chalobah played in central defence vs Leicester but Azpilicueta is expected to come into the side against Juventus while the rest of the backline remains the same.
Jorginho came off in the second half on Saturday and immediately there were fears of an injury which would have been really bad news since Mateo Kovacic is also ruled out.
Thankfully, the manager has revealed that it was only a cramp so the Italian will be ready to play in midweek.
The manager told the press: “I absolutely don’t think [he’s a doubt for Tuesday]. He said he feels like cramps. At the moment I would say absolutely no muscle injuries and for that, no doubt for Tuesday.”
This means Jorginho will keep his place in defensive midfield alongside N’Golo Kante.
Mason Mount was a tad bit average during the weekend but this may be because he was coming back from a layoff. The England international should hold onto his place in the side.
Timo Werner got a watching brief vs the Foxes but the forward will be in line to start on Tuesday night, replacing Hudson-Odoi.
Romelu Lukaku is the other injury doubt apart from Kovacic, but unlike Mateo, the Belgian international will be touch and go. The Chelsea boss has admitted that Saturday’s game had come too early for him but he has a chance of making a comeback in midweek.
Step by step..🔋 pic.twitter.com/2TWqF5HML9
— R.Lukaku Bolingoli9 (@RomeluLukaku9) November 17, 2021
Tuchel had said last week: “We will talk with the doctors, physios and the player [to see if he can play in the UCL]. If something is to be decided then it will be on Monday evening.”
If Lukaku is fully fit to start then it will be bad news for Kai Havertz who will have to make way for the summer signing.
