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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Simon Collings

Chelsea: Thomas Tuchel provides Reece James, Mason Mount, Hakim Ziyech and Mateo Kovacic fitness update

Thomas Tuchel has confirmed Reece James, Hakim Ziyech and Mateo Kovacic are all fit for Sunday’s Carabao Cup Final.

Chelsea were handed a boost this week when James returned to training after two months out with a hamstring injury.

Mason Mount suffered ankle ligament damage in the Club World Cup Final earlier this month but the midfielder was back on the bench in Tuesday’s Champions League win over Lille.

Kovacic limped off during the 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge in midweek, while Ziyech was also forced off in that game.

Chelsea play Liverpool at Wembley on Sunday and Tuchel provided a fitness update at his pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon.

Tuchel said: “We had training today with everybody out on the pitch, except for Ben Chilwell, which is brilliant news. This is pretty much it. Both (Kovacic and Ziyech) are okay since today.

“They were not only out on the pitch with separate programmes; everybody joined team training from the last to the first minute. We have at the moment no reactions, but positive reactions. I hope it stays like this.

“We have another training tomorrow and we hope to have everybody available for Sunday.”

Pushed on whether James could start, Tuchel said: “Very, very good question. Even if wanted to, I am not sure if I could answer your question right now.

“He looked brilliant in the last two training sessions. Let’s wait another session and then let’s see if I am crazy enough to just put him on the pitch, or if the reasonable side of me wins in the end and we go step by step.

“It would be a huge step, but honestly yesterday and today he looked so strong, so confident and so involved in training that you are tempted to do it.

“Let’s see, we have a little bit of time and the most important thing for him, and for us, is that he’s back and that he feels so confident that he can step up on the level he did yesterday and today.

“There are still two days to go and then we will take the decision.”

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