Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed that Chelsea will be without Levi Colwill and Ben Chilwell against Newcastle on Monday night. Pochettino also said Conor Gallagher has a virus, so he might miss the Premier League meeting at Stamford Bridge too.
Pochettino said in his pre-match press conference: “It’s the same situation as last week. You all know the list of injured players and also it now has Levi Colwill and Ben Chilwell.” Trevoh Chalobah partnered Axel Disasi at centre-back against Brentford, so the pair should keep their place against Newcastle.
Cucurella could come in for Chilwell
Chilwell has made 19 appearances in all competitions, spending most of the season sidelined with injury. The 27-year-old spent two months out with a hamstring injury, returning in January. Chilwell picked up a knee injury in March, however, so he’ll have to be replaced again.
Marc Cucurella is returning from an ankle injury that required surgery but could start at left-back in Chilwell’s stead. It would be his first appearance of the year if he does feature, so Pochettino has a decision to make.
What happened to Colwill?
Colwill has made 32 appearances in all competitions this season, last featuring in Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Brentford on March 2. The 21-year-old was substituted late in the game and later found himself sidelined with a toe injury.
Colwill has missed a lot of games in 2024 due to injury, making only four league appearances since New Year. Premier Injuries believe Colwill won’t return for a month, so he could miss five games across the board.
What’s the latest on Gallagher?
Colwill and Chilwell are definitely out for the Newcastle clash, but Gallagher is 50/50. The 24-year-old played a full 90 minutes against Brentford but has since picked up an illness. It’s not certain that he will miss out, however, so Pochettino says Chelsea will make a late decision.
“Gallagher also hasn’t been training because he has had a virus,” he added. “That is the news from the medical team. We will see tomorrow or Saturday if he will have the possibility to train.
“The problem with this situation is that (after an illness) the energy is down and you need time to recover. We will see if he can be available and ask what is the situation. We will need to assess him in the next few days.”
Chelsea lost heavily to Newcastle in the reverse fixture, so they’ll be desperate for revenge. Losing two of their back-four isn’t ideal, however.
