Thomas Tuchel and his Chelsea side make the trip north on Thursday night as they face Manchester United in the Premier League. The original fixture date was set to be played in May, but due to the FA Cup final, the game had to be brought forward a few weeks.
If the Blues manage to avoid defeat, they will confirm a finish above the Red Devils this season, with an 11 points gap between the two sides and with United only having three matches left after this. It would also put the side one step closer to confirming a place in next season’s Champions League.
Despite the hosts' poor form, Tuchel was still keen to stress the quality they have in the squad ahead of the game: “I am very happy to have this match, and it will always be a big match for me, no matter which position and what current form they are in. That is why we prepare in the best possible way," he said.
READ MORE: Every word Thomas Tuchel said on Man United vs Chelsea, injury news, Rudiger and Loftus-Cheek
“We don't reflect so much on their situation and what is going on in and around the club. We focus on their last matches, and we should not get confused by the lack of points. For me, this squad is full of quality, and we need to take care on the pitch.”
While the Blues will be battling with their own injury troubles, the same can be said of United. They could be set to be without as many as seven players for the match and here’s a little look at who could miss out.
Jadon Sancho
Having made the big-money switch to Old Trafford in the summer, Sancho has struggled to settle into the squad at times. He has shown sparks of what he is capable of, but a bout of tonsillitis is set to keep him out of the match on Thursday.
Paul Pogba
The France international has had question marks hanging over his future at Old Trafford for some time now, with his current deal expiring in the summer. If he does leave, then the United faithful are likely to have seen his last game for the club, with the midfielder having sustained a calf injury that is set to rule him out of the remaining fixtures.
Harry Maguire
The club captain has struggled with form so far this season, but a knock to his knee has kept him out of the past two training sessions for the side. The centre-back is set to miss the game with the injury, also putting into doubt his final few games of the campaign.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Full-back Wan-Bissaka is a doubt for the game, with Rangnick confirming that a late check will have to be done to assess his availability ahead of kick-off.
Luke Shaw
Another England international, left-back Luke Shaw has also had a rollercoaster of a season. His looks to have come to a premature end though, with surgery to remove metal bolts from his leg ending his campaign.
Fred
The central midfielder has been able to shine more than most since the interim manager took charge of the team earlier this season. He has been a miss in the past few games though, and is confirmed to be out of action until the start of next week.
Edinson Cavani
Another player that has questions over his future is striker Edinson Cavani. The forward is out-of-contract in the summer, but unlike Pogba, his calf injury is likely to see him return to training soon, but not until after the Chelsea clash.
