Chelsea have sent fans a subtle early team news hint ahead of their crucial Champions League quarter-final second leg tie with Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday. With a 2-0 deficit to overcome from the first leg, progression looks unlikely for Frank Lampard's men, although they will be keen to prove the doubters wrong.
This is the type of game that the Blues have typically come alive in though and memories of European nights at SW6 offers some solace for fans to cling onto. With the might of Los Blancos in town they will need every ounce of luck and grit possible in order to make a fist of the tie.
N'Golo Kante and Thiago Silva are set to return for the fixture though, giving an added boost to Lampard and his men ahead of the game. The pair were both rested against Brighton, whilst Reece James was only a substitute and Enzo Fernandez came off after 60 minutes.
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Now, the club have teased at the inclusion of their star duo, posting an impressive pre-match graphic on social media with the pair front and centre alongside Frank Lampard. Mateo Kovacic and Kai Havertz are also prominent in the image with a further picture of Blues players celebrating together in a huddle.
Although it is far from certain that these players will be involved, the use of Kante, Silva, Havertz and Kovacic from the start in this game appears likely given their involvement in the past week.
Lampard said ahead of the game that he still has plenty of hope for a turnaround, one that will surely hinge on the performances of those above. "I have been here too many times before at this level of game with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on an evening midweek knockout Champions League game to understand that the atmosphere will be great," he said.
"And again now it is time for us to tap into that early in the game and make sure we engage the crowd throughout, because they can help us for sure. It’s why this two legged competition is the best out there. We just need to play our part."
Even for Lampard's standards of European shock, a turnaround here may well trump anything he has seen before.
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