After a much deserved two days off to recover mentally and physically, Chelsea's players were back out on the training pitches at Cobham this morning to prepare for Sunday's clash against Tottenham Hotspur.
Having failed to win any of their last four Premier League matches, the visit of Spurs to Stamford Bridge this weekend has taken on greater importance.
Thomas Tuchel's side currently sit in third in the top-flight table and are eight points ahead of Spurs in fifth. However, that may prove something of a false position with several teams below the Blues having games in hand.
Tottenham, for instance, have played just 19 Premier League games to Chelsea's 23. So if Antonio Conte's side are able to take maximum points from their remaining fixtures, they will leapfrog the Blues.
It's why Chelsea can't allow Spurs to leave Stamford Bridge this weekend with all three points. Victory is vital in their bid to claim Champions League football for next season.
"It's a big game," Tuchel said at his pre-match press conference. "Of course, we can do our mathematics but it is strange to look at the fixtures and see teams competing in the same part of the table but having four games less.
"This can lead you to a wrong impression that you are comfortably ahead, which you are not. The best chance to win competitions is against direct opponents. It’s a London derby, a big rivalry. We know this.
"We play them now three times [in two weeks]. They know what we do we know what they do. Things are clear. We managed to beat them twice, we will do everything to beat them a third time.”
Tuchel was once again without a full squad for training today. And he won't have his complete contingent for the remainder of the season with Ben Chilwell ruled out after undergoing knee ligament surgery.
Reece James, who has stepped up his recovery from a hamstring injury at Cobham this week, was also absent while Andreas Christensen hasn't returned having tested positive for Covid.
There was, however, some good news on the injury front and that is where we begin the things we spotted from Chelsea's training session today.
Chalobah makes his return
It was against Liverpool on January 2 that Chalobah hobbled off with a hamstring injury. The centre-back had gone into the 2-2 draw nursing an issue and aggravated it in the second half.
Chelsea have been cautious not to rush Chalobah back as they did in December. He has this time been given time to fully recover and recharge.
The 22-year-old was back in training this morning, however. Chalobah completed the full session and was thought to be in contention to face Tottenham.
But Tuchel says the defender will not be risked. "It's way too early to play the game on Sunday at this kind of level," the Chelsea head coach said this afternoon at his pre-match press conference.
Chalobah will be ready to make his return against Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup fourth round, although that game will come after the majority of the Blues' first-team squad enjoy time off during next week's awkwardly-timed international break.
Wildcard duo remain
Rewind the clock a month and the Chelsea first-team squad looked on the light side with injuries and positive Covid tests depleting Tuchel's ranks.
It's why a number of players from the Development Squad were called up to offer support and several, including Xavier Simons, Harvey Vale, Jude Soonsup-Bell and Lewis Hall, were handed senior debuts in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup.
The majority of the youngsters have since returned to Chelsea's Under-23s but Hall remains part of the first-team group and was named on the substitutes' bench for the midweek draw at Brighton.
The 17-year-old will hope to repeat that feat against Tottenham on Sunday and was pictured battling for the ball against Mason Mount in training today.
Also captured was Kenedy. The 25-year-old was recalled from his loan spell at Brazilian club Flamengo earlier this month and was expected to join a club in La Liga for the remainder of the campaign.
However, he remains at Chelsea and has been reincorporated into the first-team picture with the Blues yet to bring in another left wing-back to support Marcos Alonso.
Havertz pushes hard
Chelsea's attack has struggled for fluency over the previous three games, with Romelu Lukaku lacking form and those in support of the Belgian also far from their best.
It's made the limited use of Havertz all the more peculiar. The German star, who scored the Blues' winner in last season's Champions League final, has played just eight minutes of action against Tottenham, Manchester City and Brighton.
Havertz did break a finger in the Carabao Cup first-leg win over Spurs – a game in which he scored – but that doesn't quite explain his lack of action over the past fortnight.
The 22-year-old will hope to return to the side on Sunday and will have a point to prove if selected by Tuchel.
