Chelsea are one of several Premier League sides set to be in action on Boxing Day, with the champions of Europe gearing up for a crucial showdown with Aston Villa. Fortunately for Thomas Tuchel, the London giants could welcome back to key players to the team ahead of Sunday's trip to Birmingham.
The Blues have endured a recent dip in form but have been blessed with the return of both Romelu Lukaku and Callum Hudson-Odoi. With only one win from their last four Premier League outings, the Stamford Bridge outfit have seen themselves fall six points behind first-placed Man City in the title race, hence the importance of this latest team news.
Back-to-back draws with Everton and Wolves was a sucker punch, but with 20 games remaining from the current season, there is more than enough time for Chelsea to turn things around, starting with this weekend's trip to Villa Park.
As a result, the return of the two aforementioned players is crucial. Both men unfortunately caught COVID-19 and were thus forced to sit out the recent games, with Lukaku in particular also going through an unwanted injury issue prior to contracting the coronavirus. Both are now expected to make the squad for the Aston Villa game, as per the Sun.
Unfortunately, Timo Werner and Kai Havertz remain doubts after missing out on Thursday's practice session. Given the club's goalscoring issues as of late, Tuchel will be keen to welcome his countrymen back as soon as possible.
