Chelsea return to Premier League action this weekend following the international break. Stamford Bridge welcomes west London rivals Brentford for what promises to be a difficult encounter with Thomas Frank's side.
Much of the attention has understandably been focused on Chelsea's ongoing off-the-field issues, but Thomas Tuchel will be hoping to distract fans for a short while by delivering three points on Saturday.
Having said that, the German does have a few injury issues to contend with. So, without further ado, let's take a look at who may or may not miss the clash with the Bees.
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Reece James
James has featured just three times for Chelsea since the turn of the year. A torn hamstring kept him out for much of January and February before he returned to action in the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool.
He started the next fixture against Burnley and registered both a goal and an assist. Sadly, however, he also suffered a muscular injury and as a result, the Englishman missed the following four matches.
The issue didn't stop Gareth Southgate calling him up to the England squad for the recent friendlies against Switzerland and Ivory Coast, but James withdrew from the camp to work on his at Cobham. And in welcomed news, Tuchel has confirmed he's fit to face Brentford.
What Tuchel has said: "Reece is in the squad tomorrow."
Expected return date: Brentford (H), Saturday April 2
Callum Hudson-Odoi
Hudson-Odoi managed just one appearance in February as he struggled with a troublesome Achilles issue. No risks have been taken with the academy graduate - hardly a surprise as it was a ruptured Achilles tendon that derailed his rapid development in 2019.
What Tuchel has said: "Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ben Chilwell will miss the game tomorrow. Callum still feels his Achilles a little bit and has some lower back problems. Everyone else was in training."
Expected return date: unknown.
Thiago Silva and Christian Pulisic
Tuchel is sure to also reflect on the fitness of Thiago Silva and Christian Pulisic due to the scale of their journeys to compete. The latter played in three USA matches as they qualified for the World Cup, but the Blues boss is more relaxed over Silva, who returned to training on Thursday after being kept on the bench for Brazil's second game.
What Tuchel has said: "Thiago is a bit different than Christian because he didn't play the third match for Brazil. He came back one day earlier and didn't have the same jet lag. For Christian, we have to decide. He didn't train today. We gave him a recovery session. He was here but very tired with the jet lag and time difference. So we have to figure out of it makes sense to play him tomorrow and for how many minutes."
Andreas Christensen
Despite being named in the Denmark squad, Christensen was quick to pull out of his international duties. The Dane – who has reportedly agreed a pre-contract with Barcelona – suffered a knock in the Champions League Round of 16 second leg against Lille and didn't feature for his country before returning to Chelsea for training earlier this week.
Expected return date: Brentford (H), Saturday April 2
Kepa Arrizabalaga
The goalkeeper was ill for the trip to Middlesbrough but was pictured on holiday over the course of the international break, therefore hinting that he has recovered from whatever he had contracted.
What Tuchel has said: "Kepa is ill."
Expected return date: Brentford (H), Saturday April 2
Ben Chilwell
Chilwell suffered a cruciate ligament injury in his knee that is set to keep the wing-back out for the rest of the season. The 25-year-old performed well in the early stages of the season, but won’t make a return until the summer.
Expected return: Summer 2022
