Chelsea team news: Lampard confirms quadruple fitness blow ahead of Watford trip

Frank Lampard has confirmed a quadruple injury blow ahead of Chelsea’s Premier League trip to Watford on Saturday evening.

The Blues boss held his pre-match press conference this afternoon and he provided a team news update by revealing Antonio Rudiger, N’Golo Kante, Andreas Christensen and Ross Barkley will all miss the game this weekend.

Rudiger has been on the sidelines for the past few weeks with a niggling pelvic issue and was quoted in the media this week as saying he was close to full fitness. However, Lampard says there must have been a miscommunication somewhere as Rudiger is in fact due to see a specialist to try and finally overcome get to the bottom of his pelvic injury.

Kante has also missed Chelsea’s last five games due to a groin injury that he picked up during the international break last month and while he won’t be available to face Watford, Lampard is hoping the midfielder will be fit to return to the squad against Ajax next week.

Christensen is also close to making his comeback from a thigh problem but the Watford game will come too soon while Barkley is also still short of fitness as he continues to overcome an ankle injury that he sustained last month.

Lampard told Chelseafc.com:

‘He’s [Rudiger] not fit. I saw the quotes but there’s a miscommunication somewhere and he’s going to see a consultant on Monday because he has an ongoing issue in his pelvic area which is bothering him. We’ll have to wait until then for a further update.

‘N’Golo is close. He’s working with the team now and will possibly be ready for Ajax next week.’

‘Ross is still not quite right but he’s not far away. Andreas is pretty much fit as well but they just have to add the finishing touches in terms of the difference between being fit and match-fit.

‘I’m quite big that the players come back into training at the level that they left so they’re then ready to play games because they can’t just walk straight back in after injuries so there has to be some progression.’

There was no word on Emerson Palmieri but the full-back is considered a major doubt to face Watford due to a thigh injury while Ruben Loftus-Cheek remains out with a serious Achilles injury.

Chelsea head to Vicarage Road after seeing their excellent run come to an end with a 2-1 defeat to Manchester United in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night so Lampard will be keen to get to winning ways at Watford tomorrow.