Ruben Loftus-Cheek is set to be unavailable for Chelsea’s game at home to Brighton this evening.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the match, Blues boss Thomas Tuchel explained that Loftus-Cheek has been nursing an injury as well as having recently tested positive for Covid-19.
Tuchel’s midfield options have been boosted by the recent return to the squad of N’Golo Kante, Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic.
All three players travelled to Aston Villa, where Kante was substituted after taking another knock to his knee.
But the Frenchman trained on Tuesday afternoon and could be in contention to face the Seagulls.
Loftus-Cheek, meanwhile, looks like facing a tough battle to reclaim a first-team place as Chelsea’s key players return to full fitness.
Tuchel said: “We were super-excited to have Jorginho, N’Golo Kante and Kovacic on the bus with us – it was like the first time in months that we had our three midfielders who played a half a year for us. We waited for that.
“Ruben Loftus-Cheek is injured and suffers from Covid. So I don’t know what we do on Wednesday.
“I need to talk to the doctors and to the physios and to the fitness department and then we will try to find solutions. The situation is what it is.”
