Good morning and welcome to today’s live action from the west London derby.
Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed Ben Chilwell’s return to the Chelsea squad after missing nearly four months with a hamstring injury.
The England defender last featured during the 1-0 home defeat to Aston Villa in late September but is set to be named in the matchday party alongside Benoit Badiashile, who has recovered from a muscle issue.
However, Christopher Nkunku remains on the absentee list with the manager revealing that the forward’s recovery from a hip problem has become “complicated”.
Carney Chukwuemeka, who has not played since the second weekend of the Premier League season, will be assessed ahead of the clash against Fulham, while Trevoh Chalobah is training with the first team having missing the entire campaign to date.
Victory against Marco Silva’s side today would see Chelsea at least temporarily move above eighth-placed Manchester United, while a win of sufficient margin could see them climb as high as seventh, their highest league position since November 2022.
Silva has told Fulham they will be playing for the fans in what he calls a “special” derby.
The last meeting between the two teams in October ended in a 2-0 win for Pochettino’s men at Craven Cottage, courtesy of goals from Armando Broja and Mykhailo Mudryk.
Fulham’s Brazilian winger Willian spent seven years at Stamford Bridge and Silva said: “The connection between him and the club (Chelsea) is huge.
“It is huge for him and the fans, we felt last season when he was substituted the ovation he got. The respect they show for him is huge and it’s deserved as well because what he’s doing in our club at 35-years-old makes you think what he can do at 37 or 38.”