Chelsea Team News: Latest update ahead of FA Cup clash vs Barnsley
Chelsea turn their attention to the FA Cup, where the next game for them is a trip to Barnsley for a fifth-round tie and here is the latest team news ahead of the game.
The Blues have made a promising start to life under new manager Thomas Tuchel with three wins in their first four Premier League games under the German.
Tuchel will keep his fingers crossed over the availability of some of his star players heading into the midweek trip to Oakwell. The manager is expected to rotate his squad to keep his regular starters fresh for a daunting run of fixtures in the Premier League.
1. Christian Pulisic
Pulisic was a surprise omission from the matchday squad against Sheffield United. Tuchel revealed that the 22-year-old’s absence was due to personal reasons and he was given a break to sort out some family issues.
As per Metro, the United States took part in the Blues’ training session on Tuesday and is expected to be fit and available for selection against Barnsley. Pulisic is yet to start a single game under Tuchel, although he did come off the bench to provide an assist in the 2-0 win over Burnley.
2. Thiago Silva
Thiago Silva missed the clash against Sheffield United after being forced off the pitch with a muscle injury in the trip to Tottenham last week.
The Brazilian wasn’t a part of Chelsea’s training session on Tuesday with Tuchel setting the Southampton fixture on February 20 as a possible return date for the veteran. (h/t Football.London)
3. Kai Havertz
According to Football.London, Havertz was forced to miss the trip to Tottenham after picking up a minor injury in training last Wednesday. He was expected to be fit for the clash against Sheffield United but failed to make the cut, suggesting he wasn’t quite ready to play.
The German didn’t take part in Tuesday’s training session and it remains unclear whether he will be available for the FA Cup tie against Barnsley.
4. Timo Werner
Werner had to be substituted midway through the second half of Chelsea’s win over Sheffield United after suffering a dead leg. Tuchel has indicated that it’s only a minor injury, much to the relief of the fans.
More Chelsea News:
- Chelsea to ask £40m from Aston Villa for Ross Barkley permanent transfer
- Rio Ferdinand surprised Reece James is not a regular feature for Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea
- Michael Ballack backs Timo Werner to rediscover his goalscoring touch at Chelsea
He was a part of Chelsea’s training session on Tuesday but it remains to be seen whether the striker would be fit enough to start on Thursday.