Chelsea have suffered a late blow ahead of their crunch clash with Manchester City after Andreas Christensen tested positive for Covid.

The centre-back has been ruled out of the lunchtime trip to the Etihad – further depleting Thomas Tuchel’s defensive options.

Chelsea are already without the injured Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah and Ben Chilwell, while Thiago Silva has only just from isolation after his own bout of Covid.

Christensen’s future is the subject of much speculation, with the Dane’s contract set to expire at the end of the season. Despite a strong European Championships last summer, the 25-year-old has slipped down the pecking order under Tuchel this term and has been linked with a free transfer to Borussia Dortmund.

Saturday’s clash between first and second in the Premier League represents something of a last chance for Tuchel’s side to breathe life back into the title race, with Pep Guardiola’s defending champions currently ten points clear at the top.