CHELSEA boss Thomas Tuchel is facing a selection headache ahead of Saturday’s London derby against Premier League newcomers Brentford.
The Blues currently sit top of the table on 16 points with just seven games played.
And they hold a point advantage over title rivals Liverpool, who they held to a 1-1 draw back in August, despite playing the second half with ten men.
Despite topping the table, Chelsea‘s form has dipped in recent weeks.
The Blues struggled against teams of similar stature in Manchester City and Juventus.
Chelsea lost both of the games 1-0, and only managed to register one shot on target in 180 minutes of football.
They did, however, return to winning ways beating Southampton 3-1 at home.
Brentford will not be an easy task with the Bees coming off the back of an away win against West Ham.
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Thomas Frank’s men also beat Arsenal 2-0 in the opening game of the season, and have only lost once in the league so far.
Tuchel may have a few issues with his team selection for the game, with some struggling for fitness, and others looking to stake claim to a starting spot.
Romelu Lukaku
Lukaku left the Belgium national team on Thursday due to an injury and returned to London.
The £97.5million club record signing has been a revelation since re-joining the club.
Lukaku has scored four goals in nine games for the Blues.
But the powerful forward could be a doubt for Saturday’s game as he’s suffering from muscle fatigued.
National team manager Roberto Martinez confirmed: “Romelu Lukaku is suffering from muscle fatigue, same as Eden Hazard. They’re not in best conditions to play.
“They’re leaving the national team camp due to these problems – I don’t know how long it will take.”
Saul Niguez
Its not been the best start to life in London for Saul Niguez.
The midfielder joined from Atletico Madrid on loan towards the back end of the summer transfer window.
Despite being highly rated, Saul looked incredibly out of his depth on his debut against Aston Villa back at the start of September.
And he was hauled off at half-time as a result.
The Spaniard hasn’t kicked a ball in the Premier League since, with his only other appearance coming against Villa in the Carabao Cup.
The international break offers Saul a chance to get up to speed at Chelsea and force his way into Tuchel’s team for Saturday.
Antonio Rudiger
Joining Lukaku on the list of potential injury doubts for Saturday’s game is Antonio Rudiger.
Like Lukaku, Rudiger reportedly picked up a knock whilst away on international duty with Germany.
Rudiger has proven reliable for Tuchel so far at Chelsea, and is one of the Blues’ standout defenders.
But Tuchel missing Rudiger for Brentford could be a feeling the German has to get used to.
Rudiger’s contract expires in June 2022, and he is yet to put pen to paper on new terms.
The 28-year-old is free to negotiate a free transfer with other clubs from January, with the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid keeping an eye on his situation.
Ben Chillwell
Ben Chilwell finds himself in a bit of good form, netting in his last two appearances.
The left-back scored in Chelsea’s last league game against Southampton at Stamford Bridge.
And he followed it up with his first international goal for England in the 5-0 win over Andorra.
Chilwell joined the Blues last summer from Leicester City for £45m, and has faced a battle from veteran Marcos Alonso for the starting spot.
And Chilwell has found himself losing that battle, only starting one league game this season.
His form could, however, see him keep his place in the starting line-up against Brentford.
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