football.london understands at least four Chelsea players have tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of tonight's Premier League game against Everton.
The confirmed cases have all come within the last 24 hours and have disrupted Thomas Tuchel's preparations for tonight's game at Stamford Bridge.
Tuchel spoke yesterday at his pre-match press conference about the risks players and staff face. At that point, only Mateo Kovacic was ruled out of the clash with Everton having returned a positive test last week.
"You cannot control it. If we think we control these things then maybe it's the first step in the wrong direction," the German said.
"I absolutely love and appreciate how the club handles these situations, organisation-wise and information-wise. It’s brilliant. Still, we are not safe.
"Players, staff, we go home, we see people, we have children in schools. We are not isolated on an island where nothing can happen and we should never make the mistake to think so."
Chelsea's players are undertaking daily lateral flow tests before entering Cobham and football.london understands those who tested positive were told to stay away from training and go home as they awaited the result of PCR tests.
There is currently no indication the Blues' game tonight against Everton will be called off. However, it's understood first-team squad is again being tested ahead of the game.
Chelsea's positive tests come shortly after Premier League side and the Blues' Carabao Cup quarter-final opponents Brentford recorded 13 new Covid-19 cases.
Thomas Frank, the Bees head coach, believes that a temporary shutdown of Premier League football may be required to stem the rising case numbers at clubs.
"The Covid cases are going through the roof at all Premier League clubs," said Frank. "Everyone is dealing with it and everyone has a problem at this moment in time.
"To postpone this round [of Premier League games] and the Carabao Cup would give everyone a week at least to clean and do everything at the training ground so everything is fine and we break the chain at every club."
