Chelsea Team News: Mourinho Confirms Injury Blow Ahead Of Hull City Clash

Chelsea will look to get their Premier League title push back on track when they take on Hull City at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon.

Ahead of the game, Jose Mourinho has been speaking to the media at his pre-match press conference this afternoon and gave Chelseafc.com a team news and injury update.

Unfortunately the Blues boos revealed that first choice goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois will miss tomorrow’s game after picking up an injury in training this week.

The ‘muscular problem’ isn’t thought to be too serious but Mourinho has every faith in Petr Cech, with the long-serving Chelsea stopper set to keep his place in between the sticks having started during the 3-1 win over Sporting Lisbon in midweek.

The only other piece of team news from Mourinho was to confirm that Cesc Fabregas will sit out the Hull game through suspension after picking up his fifth booking of the season during last weeks defeat to Newcastle.

Mourinho told the clubs website:

‘Fabregas obviously has been amazing for us and is playing fantastically well but he is suspended tomorrow so we don’t think about him. We trust the other person that will have a chance to play, and Fabregas will be fresh to play against Derby.’

‘Courtois had a little problem in training, a little muscular problem and he’s not available for tomorrow. It’s a chance for Petr and a chance for Mark to be on the bench so we’re more than comfortable.

‘We have played Petr in three Champions League matches and every Capital One Cup game and he has always had our confidence. He has absolutely nothing to prove to me, to the club, to his team-mates or to the supporters.

‘It’s an easy, simple situation for him: go and play, which is what he has done his entire career. It’s very comfortable for me, for the players and for the fans to know our goalkeeper tomorrow is Petr Cech.

‘It’s his natural habitat to be in goal and not on the bench. That’s why since the beginning of the season I have kept saying it’s perfect for me to have Petr in the squad.’

Chelsea head into this weekends action sitting six points clear of second-placed Manchester City following last weeks disappointment at St James’ Park, so the West Londoners will be hoping to at least maintain that advantage with a win over the Tigers tomorrow.