Chelsea will be boosted by the return of Christopher Nkunku to face Liverpool in the Premier League tonight.
However, the French forward will likely only be fit enough to feature from the bench after his hip issue. Defender Malo Gusto is also back in full training and could join his team-mate in Mauricio Pochettino’s Blues squad at Anfield.
Levi Colwill remains out with a minor tendon injury sustained in the warm-up before last week’s goalless draw with Aston Villa in the FA Cup fourth round. Trevoh Chalobah has been training with the squad but is still not ready to return to competitive action having yet to play this season after hamstring trouble.
Chelsea captain Reece James, Marc Cucurella, Robert Sanchez, Wesley Fofana, Lesley Ugochukwu and Romeo Lavia are all still out injured.
Goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic will continue behind a back four likely to include Axel Disasi, Thiago Silva, Benoit Badiashile and Ben Chilwell.
Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez and Conor Gallagher could continue in midfield, with Cole Palmer, Raheem Sterling and Noni Madueke to start in attack.
Nicolas Jackson is heading back from the Africa Cup of Nations after Senegal were on Monday night knocked out by hosts Ivory Coast and Pochettino is seeing if it is possible to get him back in time to face Liverpool in some capacity.
Armando Broja may not start given the ongoing uncertainty around his future ahead of the January transfer deadline on Thursday night, with Wolves seeing a loan bid for the Albanian striker rejected on Tuesday.
Predicted Chelsea XI (4-2-3-1): Petrovic; Disasi, Silva, Badiashile, Chilwell; Caicedo, Fernandez; Palmer, Gallagher, Sterling; Madueke
Injured: Cucurella, Sanchez, James, Fofana, Ugochukwu, Lavia, Colwill
Doubts: Jackson, Chalobah
Time and date: 8:15pm GMT on Wednesday January 31, 2024
Venue: Anfield, Liverpool
