Here are your Chelsea morning headlines for Thursday, 26 November.
Mendy focused on Spurs test after Rennes return
Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy says he is focused on helping the Blues beat Premier League leaders Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday following his Rennes reunion.
Mendy helped Chelsea seal their passage to the Champions League last 16 with a 2-1 win away at the side he left in the summer.
Now, though, after achieving their objective in Europe, Mendy says the attention now shifts to moving above Spurs in the Premier League table.
“The objective now is to do a good match against Tottenham on Sunday,” Mendy told the Chelsea website.
“I don’t think beyond that. We want to keep the good run we have had going, and to do that we need to maintain those high levels in training and in the match itself.”
Declan Rice outlines favoured position
Chelsea target Declan Rice has explained why he prefers to play in midfield as opposed to defence.
Rice was heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge over the summer but stayed at West Ham United with the Hammers refusing to lower their £80million asking price.
And while some view Rice’s future as a centre-back, the 21-year-old has revealed his preference for playing slightly higher up the pitch.
Speaking to Sky Sports, as quoted by the Metro, Rice said: "I’ve played midfield now for the last three seasons. I think people get carried away with kind of what they want me to do.
"My role is holding midfielder. There isn’t really any flair in that. I can slot in at centre-half but I think I’ve got much more to give and I think my confidence is growing in midfield.
"I think the more I start to drive forward with the ball like I’ve been doing in recent games.
"I’ve watched the top players like Patrick Vieira and Yaya Toure, every time they see a bit of space they drive into it they look powerful, they look strong and I think as a holding midfielder that’s rare these days.
"If I can keep adding that into my game I can keep catching the eye."
Data reveals Chelsea’s fixture congestion
The games are coming thick and fast for Frank Lampard’s Chelsea with Tottenham Hotspur visiting Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Some have claimed that Chelsea have a slight advantage over Spurs given that they have 48 hours more rest with Tottenham in Europa League action tonight.
However, Reach Data Unit has revealed the number of games each Premier League side has scheduled in all competitions with only two days of rest following the match.
Chelsea are joint-top of the list with nine games between the start of the season to December 13 within three days of another match.
In comparison, Spurs have six, behind Manchester United (nine), Liverpool (eight) and Manchester City (eight).
