CHELSEA will allow Antonio Rudiger and Fikayo Tomori to leave the club on loan in January, according to reports.
The pair have struggled for game time this season, with Thiago Silva and Kurt Zouma preferred at the heart of Frank Lampard’s defence.
ESPN claims Chelsea will listen to loan offers for the pair as Lampard seeks to reduce the size of his squad.
Both players were linked with moves elsewhere over the summer following the arrival of Silva from Paris Saint-Germain.
Germany international Rudiger was hoping to secure guaranteed first-team football ahead of next summer’s Euros and was the subject of enquiries from Tottenham and West Ham.
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Neither move materialised and Rudiger ended up staying despite a late offer from his former club Roma.
Everton were in advanced talks for Tomori only for a deal to fall through and the 22-year-old chose to stay and fight for his place amid a deadline day loan bid from West Ham.
However, the form of Silva and Zouma has meant chances for the Blues’ other centre-halves have been few and far between.
Silva and Zouma have started together in five of Chelsea’s last six Premier League matches, conceding just two goals.
Rudiger played all 90 minutes in Chelsea’s 4-0 win against Sevilla in the Champions League on Wednesday, but that was just his third start of the season and Barcelona are reportedly monitoring his situation.
Tomori meanwhile, has not featured for the Blues since September despite being one of the breakthrough stars of the 2019-20 campaign.
Last December, the England international signed a new contract to keep him at Stamford Bridge until 2024, but Lampard recognises he needs game time to aid his development.
It is unclear whether Chelsea will allow both players to leave and an injury at the back in the next few weeks could prompt a rethink.
Newcastle have been linked with a loan bid for Tomori in recent weeks, with Everton unlikely to renew their interest after signing Ben Godfrey from Norwich.
