Raheem Sterling, Thiago Silva and Kalidou Koulibaly have all dropped team news hints ahead of Chelsea's clash with Aston Villa this afternoon. The duo have posted pre-match graphic previews of the clash to their respective Instagram stories.
Graham Potter will be hoping that Sterling can continue his rich vein of form, having directly contributed towards four goals in seven Premier League appearances. And, after winning 2-0 over AC Milan in the Champions League midweek, Silva could play a huge role as the Blues look to return to steady the ship amid a wave of injuries in the sqaud.
The west Londoners currently, who have two games in hand over third-placed Tottenham, sit fourth in the table on 16 points. Chelsea already find themselves a some way behind Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Spurs in the race for top-four, with the clash against Steven Gerrard's side set to be a feisty affair.
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And, ahead of what is poised to be blockbuster bout, Potter previewed the tie. Speaking to football.london, the Blues boss said: "Well, I think we have quite a few games in a short space of time. So we’ve had to use the group as wisely as possible which we’ve done. I’ve been really impressed with the guys, their attitudes have been fantastic. There are still a few lads that haven’t had game time but that isn’t because they’ve done anything wrong, they can field eleven.
"So the main focus now is to go game to game and keep progressing," the 47-year-old added. "I don’t think we’re at the maximum in terms of where the team is at, we’re not at the limit and there is more to come from the team and individuals. So always keep an open mind and we will see."
The former Brighton boss continued by detailing the threat Villa will pose despite a somewhat underwhelming season thus far. Gerrard's side sit 16th on nine points from nine games.
"The margins are very small as we’ve said in the Premier League," Potter said. "I’m sure Steven will want to improve the results and will be looking to this game to try to do that. Had they beaten Nottingham Forest they would have gone above Liverpool, so that shows you how quickly things can change.
"We have to make sure we’re ready for the challenge. In the Premier League, there is always someone under pressure. At the moment it’s Steven but he has the quality and experience and will come through I’m sure. So he has to make sure we’re good ourselves and with the greatest respect, not worry to much about Aston Villa and concentrate on ourselves."
While Sterling, Silva and Koulibaly posting graphic previews of the Villa fixture on their social media profiles does not necessarily mean both will start, it usually means they will be involved in some capacity. Follow live coverage of the game in our blog here.
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