Chelsea are reportedly set for an injury boost as Andreas Christensen is expected to be passed fit to face Tottenham this weekend.
The Danish defender was forced off in the defeat to Manchester United on Monday night with a broken nose, and so naturally there were doubts over his availability in another crunch encounter as Spurs visit Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
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Christensen, 23, has made 17 appearances so far this season and has steadily established himself in Frank Lampard’s starting XI having been named in the line-up for the last five consecutive Premier League games.
In turn, the Chelsea boss will perhaps be eager to avoid being forced into any reshuffle at the back and will have been hoping that Christensen would be fit to play against Tottenham.
According to The Athletic, he has declared himself available for the all-important showdown as he has had a special face mask fitted to protect his nose, and having trained with it on Thursday, it is now suggested that he will be available this weekend.
It remains to be seen if he gets the green light to start the game though as Lampard could be tempted to make a change if Christensen isn’t 100 per cent comfortable with the mask yet, but it’s a huge boost in itself that the defender has put himself in contention to face Spurs.
Things couldn’t be much tighter in the battle for a top-four finish in the Premier League this season, as Chelsea’s stuttering form has allowed the chasing pack to catch up.
With just one win in their last five league outings, the Blues are in poor form at the wrong time, while Tottenham have now closed the gap to just one point as the two sides prepare to face off.
With that in mind, Christensen’s involvement will be key for Lampard and Chelsea, and it sounds as though they will get some good news ahead of the showdown on Saturday.