Chelsea v Leicester: Same again for Hazard, defender out, Foxes duo eye return

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Eden Hazard is expected to be deployed as a ‘false nine’ for a third straight Premier League game when Chelsea play Leicester on Saturday.

Olivier Giroud played the full 90 minutes of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup win over Bournemouth, while Alvaro Morata returned to training on Thursday after a week out with a knee problem.

Andreas Christensen (hamstring) is the only injury absentee, while David Luiz, N’Golo Kante, Jorginho and Marcos Alonso are expected to return to the starting line-up.

Provisional squad: Kepa, Caballero, Rudiger, Alonso, Fabregas, Jorginho, Kante, Barkley, Hazard, Pedro, Loftus-Cheek, Kovacic, Giroud, Zappacosta, Willian, Cahill, Christensen, Azpilicueta, Morata, Luiz, Emerson Palmieri, Ampadu, Hudson-Odoi.

Jamie Vardy should return for Leicester.

Striker Vardy sat out Tuesday’s Carabao Cup defeat to Manchester City as boss Claude Puel eases him back from a groin injury.

Chilwell has missed the last two games with a knee injury but is back in training although Wilfred Ndidi (knee) is a doubt and Daniel Amartey (broken ankle) is out. Jonny Evans is back from suspension after missing Tuesday’s penalty defeat.

Provisional squad: Schmeichel, Ward, Jakupovic, Simpson, Chilwell, Morgan, Evans, Maguire, Pereira, Soyuncu, Fuchs, Maddison, Albrighton, Iborra, Gray, Silva, Mendy, Ndidi, Choudhury, Ghezzal, Iheanacho, Diabate, Okazaki, Vardy.