Chelsea boss Frank Lampard has been handed a huge boost ahead of a potentially season defining match against Tottenham Hotspur, with the reintroduction of several key players.
In his pre-match press conference, Lampard conceded that Tammy Abraham was “70 per cent fit” whilst Andreas Christensen will be available for selection for this weekends crunch clash at Stamford Bridge.
The defender came off at half-time during Monday nights 2-0 defeat to Manchester United following a nasty collision with Anthony Martial and there was some concern that he would miss Saturdays game.
However, the 23-year-old flew to Milan in midweek to have a mask fitted to protect his nose and is now available to play.
Chelsea fans will also be delighted to hear that Ruben Loftus-Cheek is back in the squad after nine months on the sidelines with an Achilles tendon rupture.
The midefielder picked up the injury after falling awkwardly in a charity match against New England Revolution last May but is now back training with the team.
Top-four race heating up
Saturdays match against Tottenham is a particularly crucial one for Lampard and Chelsea in the race to achieve a top-four finish and Champions League football next season.
The blues lie in 4th, just one point and one place above their London rivals in 5th.
The gap was much larger earlier in the season after 7 wins on the bounce. However eight losses in their last 15 Premier League games have put last seasons Europa League winners in a precarious position going into the last three months of the season
Despite this, Lampard is adamant that there is no added pressure on his position as Chelsea manager: “I always feel [the pressure] because this is top sport. I thrive on it.”
Lampard also told reporters that N’Golo Kante would be out for up to three weeks following a muscle injury that he has picked up and Christian Pulisic also remains unavailable.