Double injury boost, Palmer plan, Pochettino finds solution – Chelsea dream week before Everton
Chelsea players have returned to Cobham to begin preparations for next week's Premier League meeting with Everton at Stamford Bridge.
Those who featured in the Blues' draw at Sheffield United on Sunday evening will have been given Monday off to rest and will continue their recovery. Chelsea led twice at Bramall Lane, against the Premier League's bottom team, but were unable to hold on with Oli McBurnie scoring a 93rd-minute equaliser to put even more pressure on Mauricio Pochettino.
Chelsea are now a point ahead of Brighton and move into ninth-place but the Blues know it was a serious chance missed to put pressure on Newcastle United in eighth. There is still a really good chance Chelsea can qualify for some form of European football this season, with an eighth-place finish potentially getting a place in the Conference League next season.
And that is why they need the next six days of preparation to go perfectly for them. With that said, Bobby Vincent takes a look at what that might entail.
Chelsea's injury situation, as bleak as it is, is slowly improving. While long-term absentees Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Christopher Nkunku, Romeo Lavia and Lesley Ugochukwu seemingly are not too close to returning, there are a couple of players in better condition.
Ben Chilwell is one of them. The Chelsea left-back is expected to train with the rest of the squad this week after a knee injury and then an illness. Chilwell, the club's vice-captain, will be hopeful of a good few days of preparation to then be included in the 20-man squad for Monday's visit of Everton.
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