Chelsea Line-up against Liverpool

Chelsea host Liverpool today in a crunch meeting at the top of the Premier League but the Blues have some injury concerns coming into the contest.

The two teams are separated by only one point – Chelsea are second with Liverpool third – after both slipped up in midweek, allowing leaders Manchester City to move eight points clear at the top coming into the weekend.

Reece James and Andreas Christensen are the latest defenders to join an injury list which includes Thiago Silva and Ben Chilwell. Liverpool meanwhile are enjoying the return of Virgil van Dijk and Fabinho to their group.

What is the team news?

Chelsea are without Ben Chilwell, Thiago Silva, Andreas Christensen and Reece James, while Timo Werner and Kai Havertz are both still on the road to full recovery from Covid-19. Romelu Lukaku is set to be dropped after his controversial interview angered boss Thomas Tuchel.

Liverpool have most key players available, with only Divock Origi, Takumi Minamino, Nat Phillips and Harvey Elliott on their injury table. Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane are available before travelling to the African Cup of Nations. Thiago Alcantara was left out of the defeat at Leicester with a minor niggle but could return.

Chelsea's Possible Line-up is as follows:

Chelsea: Mendy; Azpilicueta, Chalobah, Rudiger; Hudson-Odoi, Kante, Jorginho, Alonso; Mount, Pulisic, Ziyech.