Good greeting and invited to the Chelsea liveblog with football.london connected Sunday, October 16th. It's matchday for Graham Potter!
The Blues question to Villa Park this day successful an effort to proceed their 5 lucifer unbeaten tally nether the brag and look an retired of signifier Villa side. The crippled comes nether the backdrop that Reece James volition beryllium retired for an expected 8 weeks with a genu wounded sustained against AC Milan though.
The 22-year-old volition miss each of Chelsea's remaining games earlier the World Cup and faces a contention against clip to beryllium his fittingness to Gareth Southgate for the tourney too. James doesn't request country connected the wounded which is simply a boost, but the timing and severity is simply a large stroke for James, nine and country.
His lack could unit Todd Boehly into much January enactment arsenic quality of an effort to unafraid Christopher Nkunku aft the World Cup show the eagerness to bash concern this winter.
Keep up with each of this and overmuch much arsenic it happens, close here!
09:17Jake Stokes
Nkunku latest
Chelsea person been handed a immense stroke successful the contention to motion RB Leipzig prima Christopher Nkunku arsenic Liverpool look to hijack a deal. The 24-year-old was heavily linked with a determination to Stamford Bridge successful the summer, but a determination failed to materialise.
According to The Sun, Jurgen Klopp's broadside sent scouts to ticker Nkunku earlier this week erstwhile Celtic hosted Leipzig successful the Champions League. The study states that Liverpool are alert that they whitethorn person ‘missed the boat’, but they're are hoping that a determination to Chelsea falls through.
08:56Jake Stokes
Sterling, Silva and Koulibaly driblet immense squad quality hint up of Chelsea vs Aston Villa
Raheem Sterling, Thiago Silva and Kalidou Koulibaly person each dropped squad quality hints up of Chelsea's clash with Aston Villa this afternoon. The duo person posted pre-match graphic previews of the clash to their respective Instagram stories.
Graham Potter volition beryllium hoping that Sterling tin proceed his affluent vein of form, having straight contributed towards 4 goals successful 7 Premier League appearances. And, aft winning 2-0 implicit AC Milan successful the Champions League midweek, Silva could play a immense relation arsenic the Blues look to instrumentality to dependable the vessel amid a question of injuries successful the sqaud.
The westbound Londoners currently, who person 2 games successful manus implicit third-placed Tottenham, beryllium 4th successful the array connected 16 points. Chelsea already find themselves a immoderate mode down Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Spurs successful the contention for top-four, with the clash against Steven Gerrard's broadside acceptable to beryllium a feisty affair.
08:37Tom Coley
Boehly U-turn
For Todd Boehly, it appears that the much cooks determination are, the amended the broth. Not lone did his £250million spending spree bring successful 8 players, determination were 2 returning loanees to adhd to the squad. That alteration was needed aft losing cardinal elder defenders and an overhaul passim the squad needed. In the boardroom determination were conscionable arsenic galore changes.
Streamlining the nine has been a extremity of Boehly and his co-owners since arriving and present they are getting person to bringing successful a elder director, a large measurement could soon beryllium made. football.london understands that RB Leipzig method manager Christopher Vivell volition beryllium the antheral to instrumentality up the spot, but moves astatine a elder level won't extremity there.
As good arsenic caller physios and a caput of recruitment - which football.london expects to beryllium Joe Shields from Southampton - determination are inactive plans to bring successful much advisors and a imaginable sporting manager arsenic well. The erstwhile model, which was efficaciously betwixt Marina Granovskaia and Petr Cech, is being modernised with Boehly hopeful of having an adept successful footballing decisions successful spot earlier the World Cup.
Read the afloat story, here.
07:57Tom Coley
Nkunku woody
Graham Potter isn't hanging astir with his plans for Chelsea's squad arsenic January already looks to beryllium a engaged period for the Blues successful presumption of transfers.
Having spent £250million connected incoming players arsenic good arsenic getting escaped of ageing and underperforming squad players oregon serial loanees, Todd Boehly's rapid-fire and large country of the squad was highly publicised, but it was ne'er going to beryllium a one-window thing.
Read the afloat story, here.
07:30Tom Coley
James statement
Reece James volition not beryllium having country connected his genu aft suffering a damaging wounded during Chelsea's 2-0 triumph implicit AC Milan connected Tuesday night.
The 22-year-old went down with a sound successful the 2nd fractional but played connected earlier hobbling off, the archetypal thought was that this wounded wasn't arsenic atrocious arsenic archetypal thought but football.london revealed there was interest that helium wouldn't beryllium acceptable for the World Cup.
Read the afloat story, here.
22:01Tom Coley
Good morning
Welcome to the liveblog, we've got stacks coming up for you!