Romelu Lukaku, Timo Werner and Callum Hudson-Odoi out of Everton game with Covid
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Published 16/12/2021 at 19:52 GMT
Ben Chilwell has also caught the virus, while Kai Havertz is being kept away from the squad after developing symptoms. Chelsea will look to close the gap on Premier League leaders Manchester City when they face Everton at Stamford Bridge on Thursday evening. Covid chaos has gripped the English top flight, with five games at the weekend already called off.
Romelu Lukaku
Image credit: Getty Images
Chelsea forwards Romelu Lukaku, Timo Werner and Callum Hudson-Odoi will miss tonight’s game with Everton after testing positive for Covid-19.
Blues boss Thomas Tuchel confirmed the trio, along with injured full-back Ben Chilwell, had tested positive. Kai Havertz has symptoms and is being kept away from the squad.
“Kai feels unwell, he’s not positive yet but we’re waiting for test results and we decided to not bring him to the squad,” Tuchel said.
“We did some extra tests at 12 o’clock today to make sure who would arrive at lunch. From there we had to pick the team. Would it be the same line-up? I don’t know. The situation started yesterday with the players feeling unwell and not training.
“We had to confirm the flow tests and wait for the PCR results. The results are the results and the situation is the situation. We still have a strong squad and one we want to push forward, and that should be able to compete. Like always, we focus on the guys who are there.”
Tuchel insisted he had not asked for the Premier League fixture to be postponed despite a spate of other cancellations on Thursday.
“I don’t lose my concentration or energy with questions like this,” he said. “I’m pretty sure [Chelsea chiefs] Petr [Cech] and Marina [Granovskaia] take care of this. We are in close contact with our doctors.
“At some point it’s getting difficult in terms of overuse of players, but I was not involved in these thoughts.”
Five weekend games have been called off – including Manchester United’s match with Brighton – while Leicester City v Tottenham, slated for Thursday, was also postponed.
Virgil van Dijk was named among three positive Covid-19 cases at Liverpool ahead of their clash with Newcastle, though that game has also gone ahead.
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