Chelsea without five players for Champions League clash vs Zenit St Petersburg

Chelsea are expected to be without five players for Wednesday’s Champions League clash against Zenit St Petersburg on the road.

The Blues have booked their place in the last 16 of the elite competition, but they may need a victory to ensure top spot in their group.

The club are currently tied on 12 points with Juventus, but they are top of the standings on the head-to-head record.

The west London giants enjoyed a terrific 4-0 win over Juve last month, but there is still work to be done in the final group game.

Ahead of the Zenit meeting, Tuchel has confirmed that five players won’t play any part against the Russian giants.

Ben Chilwell, N’Golo Kante (both knee), Trevoh Chalobah (hamstring), Mateo Kovacic (hamstring and COVID-19), and Jorginho (back) are sidelined.

However, there has been some good news on the injury front with Kai Havertz and Marcos Alonso back in training.

Havertz sustained an injury before the interval against West Ham United last weekend. He was substituted at the break.

Meanwhile, Alonso was taken off in the second half with a back problem. Both players have now been deemed fit to face Zenit.

Tuchel will want to rotate his players, but there could be minimal changes as he will want the Blues to be seeded for the last 16 draw.

This could potentially see them avoid the big teams in the next round, although they need to beat the best to retain their European crown.