"We try to find a strong squad" - Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel provides injury update ahead of Premier League showdown against Brighton

Chelsea take on Brighton and Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Wednesday, December 29. The Blues had to push hard to secure a 3-1 victory in their last match against Aston Villa. Meanwhile, Brighton are coming into this game on the back of a comfortable 2-0 win over Brentford.

In the 3-1 win against Villa, Chelsea saw the return of Mateo Kovacic, who had been out with an injury, and later Covid-19. However, the match also saw players like N'Golo Kante and Thiago Silva taken off the pitch due to injuries.

Injuries will be a major concern for manager Thomas Tuchel. Chelsea were on the brink of welcoming back players such as Romelu Lukaku, Timo Werner and Kante himself before the latest batch of absentees.

Ahead of the game against Brighton, Tuchel provided an injury update for Chelsea's squad. He said:

"N’Golo is very painful in exactly the same spot where he had his injury versus Juventus."

The Chelsea boss added:

"With Thiago it was his hamstring. Hopefully he got out before it became an injury and from there we try to continue and find a new squad and strong squad on Wednesday."

Kai Havertz is expected to return to the squad after recovering from an illness he picked up a couple of weeks ago. Timo Werner was one of the players who contracted Covid-19 earlier this month. His return date is still unconfirmed.

Left-back Ben Chilwell has been out since picking up a serious knee injury in Chelsea's 4-0 thrashing of Juventus in the Champions League. When he picked up the injury in late November, it was speculated that he might be out for the season.

However, Chilwell is back in training and on the road to recovery. Reports suggest he could be back as early as January 2022.

On Chilwell's recovery, Tuchel said:

"He is in a good place mentally and physically. He did some running [December]. Everything looks good, so hopes are still up. But we cannot confirm [that he returns in January]."

---

It is crucial for Chelsea to not fall further behind in the Premier League title race

Until the end of November, Chelsea looked favorites to win the title this season. They sat at the top of the Premier League table and played some impeccable football.

However, with injuries, the spread of Covid-19 and a congested schedule, the Blues have fallen off since then. They have won just three out of their last seven Premier League games, with even their positive results often taking a great deal of effort.

This dip in form has seen Chelsea fall to third position in the table. They are six points off leaders Manchester City and level on points with Liverpool, who have a game in hand over the Blues.

If Chelsea are to keep their title hopes alive, they need to string a winning run together, starting with Brighton on Wednesday.