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The Portuguese striker has been back in training at Cobham this week after withdrawing late from Sunday’s defeat by champions Manchester City as a precaution.
Kalidou Koulibaly is back in training but remains out through a hamstring injury, leaving interim manager Frank Lampard with a long injury list. Chelsea announced this week that Benoit Badiashile will be out for an “extended” period following a hamstring injury sustained in training, joining a host of others on the sidelines.
There seems to be little prospect that any of N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount, Marc Cucurella, Ben Chilwell, Reece James or Armando Broja will play any role in the final two games of the season. Third-choice goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli is also thought to be out injured.
It leaves Lampard picking from 23 senior players for the last two games of a miserable campaign: a trip to Old Trafford and a final home league match against Newcastle. Lampard has tended to play a defensive 3-5-2 shape in Chelsea’s most difficult games this season and could stick with the same formula tonight after a somewhat improved display in the 1-0 defeat away at City.
The Blues could be unchanged seeing Kepa Arrizabalaga continue in goal in front of a back three of Wesley Fofana, Thiago Silva and Trevoh Chalobah. A five-man midfield consisting of wing-backs Cesar Azpilicueta and Lewis Hall with Conor Gallagher, Enzo Fernandez and Ruben Loftus-Cheek could also carry on.
There could then be a front two of Kai Havertz and Raheem Sterling despite the availability of a host of other options including Mykhailo Mudryk, Noni Madueke, Christian Pulisic, Felix and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Predicted Chelsea XI (3-5-2): Kepa; W Fofana, Thiago Silva, Chalobah; Azpilicueta, Gallagher, Fernandez, Loftus-Cheek, Hall; Sterling, Havertz
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