Chelsea receives injury boosts as Andreas Christensen, Ross Barkley, and Mateo Kovacic return to training
According to Football.London, Andreas Christensen, Ross Barkley and Mateo Kovacic have all returned to Chelsea training ahead of the Premier League tie against Everton.
Andreas Christensen wasn’t included in the team for Chelsea’s tie against West Ham. The Danish star didn’t even travel to Old Trafford for the crunch clash against Manchester United. Ross Barkley was ruled out from the West Ham game for fitness reasons. He also didn’t feature in the Manchester United game.
Mateo Kovacic has been sidelined after an ankle ligament injury in the FA Cup semi-final win over Crystal Palace. It was earlier thought that the crucial midfield star could miss Chelsea’s crunch clash against Liverpool in the FA Cup final. Thankfully that does not appear to be the case.
All three of them returned to training on Friday. Even though the manager still requires some time to rule them fully fit, it’s a positive sign about their imminent return. It remains to be seen when they will return to the first-team fold.
How will the injury boosts help Chelsea?
Chelsea central defender Antonio Rudiger has been playing rigorously in this term, missing only three matches in the Premier League. He is one of the crucial players the manager would definitely want to have in the FA Cup final against Liverpool.
Everton will prove to be dogged opponents and could even get stuck in as they battle relegation. Considering the game’s intensity, the excessive pressure can prove dangerous for his fitness. Christensen’s return would allow the manager to provide Rudiger with some much needed rest.
Mateo Kovacic has been a part of Thomas Tuchel’s team’s core. The Croatian star’s comeback is a big boost for the Chelsea midfield.
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The Blues team suffered a mini midfield crisis earlier this season when all the three first-choice midfielders- Mateo Kovacic, Jorginho and N’Golo Kanté were all sidelined following different fitness issues. At that time, Thomas Tuchel’s team suffered a few setbacks.
Having players like Ross Barkley ensures that the manager doesn’t face such issues; hence the Englishman’s comeback would undoubtedly boost the team’s overall depth.
