Sports Mole

Chelsea lock horns with London rivals Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Thursday night.

While the Blues lost 1-0 at Arsenal prior to the international break, Spurs suffered a 2-0 defeat to Fulham last time out, and here, Sports Mole rounds up all of the latest team news for the two clubs.

CHELSEA vs. TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

CHELSEA

Out: Mykhaylo Mudryk (suspended), Marc Guiu (hamstring), Omari Kellyman (hamstring)

Doubtful: Cole Palmer (muscle), Nicolas Jackson (hamstring), Noni Madueke (hamstring)

Sports Mole's predicted XI: Sanchez; James, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Out: Radu Dragusin (ACL)

Doubtful: Dejan Kulusevski (foot), Kevin Danso (hamstring), Richarlison (calf), Lucas Bergvall (illness)

Sports Mole's predicted XI: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Sarr, Bentancur, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Son

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match .

Tottenham Hotspur will assess the conditions of four players ahead of Thursday's Premier League clash with London rivals Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

While Radu Dragusin is ruled out with a season-ending ACL injury, midfielder Lucas Bergvall should be fit to return after withdrawing from the Sweden squad during the international break due to illness.

Ange Postecoglou could also be boosted by the return of Dejan Kulusevski (foot), Kevin Danso (hamstring) and Richarlison (calf), who are all currently injury doubts and a late call is set to be made on their availability.

Should Danso not be fit to start, Cristian Romero could link arms with Micky van de Ven at centre-back, while Postecoglou will weigh up whether to start in-form Djed Spence ahead of either Pedro Porro or Destiny Udogie at right-back or left-back respectively.

Bergvall, Pape Matar Sarr and James Maddison will all be pushing to start in midfield ahead of either Yves Bissouma, Rodrigo Bentancur or Archie Gray after beginning as substitutes in Spurs' disappointing 2-0 loss at Fulham before the international break.

Captain Son Heung-min has, to the surprise of some, been benched for the last three Premier League games, but the South Korean could be recalled to start on the left flank at the expense of Mathys Tel.

Brennan Johnson will hope to get the nod ahead of Wilson Odobert to continue on the right, unless Kulusevski is deemed fit to start, while Dominic Solanke is set to lead the line.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Sarr, Bentancur, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Son

Chelsea could be boosted by the return of three players for Thursday's Premier League clash with London rivals Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge.

While Mykhaylo Mudryk (suspended), Marc Guiu and Omari Kellyman (both hamstring) all remain unavailable for selection, Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke could be fit to return to Enzo Maresca's matchday squad.

Palmer was ruled out of the 1-0 loss at Arsenal prior to the international break due to a muscle injury and subsequently withdrew from the England squad, but the playmaker - who scored two penalties in the thrilling 4-3 win at Spurs in November - returned to training last week and will hope to be involved in some capacity on Thursday.

Fellow attackers Jackson and Madueke have also returned to training after spells out with hamstring injuries and, along with Palmer, will be assessed ahead of kickoff.

The potential return of both Palmer and Jackson could see Pedro Neto move from a makeshift central role over to the right flank, while Jadon Sancho and Christopher Nkunku may battle for a start on the left side of attack.

Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo are the most likely duo to start in centre-midfield. Reece James played in midfield against Arsenal, but he could revert to right-back with Wesley Fofana potentially moved across into the heart of the defence alongside Levi Colwill.

Marc Cucurella is set to continue at left-back, while Maresca will decide whether to stick with goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, who has started three of Chelsea's last four games in all competitions, or recall Filip Jorgensen between the sticks.

Chelsea possible starting lineup: Sanchez; James, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson

> Click here to see how Tottenham Hotspur could line up for this contest

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Almost a decade on from the infamous 'Battle of the Bridge' encounter, London rivals Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur return to Stamford Bridge to lock horns in the Premier League on Thursday night.

These two teams were involved in an enthralling seven-goal thriller in North London almost four months ago when Chelsea came out on top by a 4-3 scoreline.

Match preview

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Chelsea's four-game winning run across all competitions was brought to an end before the international break as Tottenham's North London rivals Arsenal beat the Blues 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium on March 16.

Mikel Merino's first-half header condemned Chelsea to their third Premier League defeat in five matches and Enzo Maresca's side are now clinging on to a top-four place, as they sit just one point above Manchester City in fourth and two clear of sixth-placed Newcastle United - who have a game in hand, while Brentford down in 11th are only eight points behind with nine games still left to play.

Chelsea, who are seeking to avoid a third successive campaign finishing outside the Premier League's top five, currently boast the finest of advantages in the hotly-contested battle to secure Champions League football for next season and are now preparing for three top-flight fixtures against bottom-half opposition, as well as their two-legged Conference League quarter-final tie with Legia Warsaw later this month.

The West Londoners will welcome a return to Stamford Bridge where they have won each of their last four Premier League games, keeping a clean sheet in their last two against Southampton (4-0) and Leicester (1-0) - only once in the last five seasons have Chelsea won three home matches in a row without conceding, doing so from April to May 2024 in a run that included a 2-0 win over Spurs.

Chelsea will fancy their chances of success on Thursday, as they have won more PL games (36) and scored more PL goals (120) against Tottenham than they have versus any other opponent. In fact, only three teams have scored more goals against a side in the division than the 120 Chelsea have netted against Spurs (Arsenal vs. Everton, Manchester United vs. Everton, Liverpool vs. Newcastle - all 124).

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Like Chelsea, Tottenham were unable to claim maximum points in their final game before the international break and instead suffered their 15th Premier League defeat of the season at the hands of Fulham.

Second-half strikes from Rodrigo Muniz and ex-Spurs man Ryan Sessegnon condemned the Lilywhites to a 2-0 defeat at Craven Cottage, leaving them languishing in 14th place in the Premier League table and 10 points behind the top half.

Europa League glory is seemingly the only saving grace for Ange Postecoglou, whose Tottenham future has come under the microscope once again following an "unacceptable" loss at Fulham. He is now facing unwanted history, as defeat at Chelsea on Thursday would see the Greek-Australian become the first-ever Spurs manager to lose his first four league meetings against the Blues.

No team has earned fewer Premier League points in London derbies this season than Tottenham (10, level with Brentford), who have lost five out of nine such matches (W3 D1). Only in 1987-88, 1989-90, 2003-04 (all six) and 2004-05 (seven) have Spurs ever suffered more London derby defeats in a league campaign.

Tottenham are bidding to win their first game at Stamford Bridge since a 3-1 success in April 2018, but they head into Thursday's contest having lost eight of their 14 top-flight away matches this term, with only Leicester (10) and Southampton (12) having lost more - not since 2008-09 have the Lilywhites suffered more away defeats in a single league season (11).

Chelsea Premier League form:

Chelsea form (all competitions):

Tottenham Hotspur Premier League form:

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

Team News

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Chelsea trio Mykhaylo Mudryk (suspended), Marc Guiu and Omari Kellyman (both hamstring) all remain unavailable for selection, but Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke could be fit to return to the matchday squad as they have all taken part in training.

The potential return of both Palmer and Jackson could see Pedro Neto move from a makeshift central role over to the right flank, while Jadon Sancho and Christopher Nkunku may battle for a start on the left side of attack.

Reece James played in midfield against Arsenal, but he could revert to right-back with Wesley Fofana potentially moved across into the heart of the defence alongside Levi Colwill, while Maresca will decide whether to stick with goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, who has started three of Chelsea's last four games in all competitions, or recall Filip Jorgensen between the sticks.

As for Tottenham, Radu Dragusin remains out with a season-ending ACL injury, but Postecoglou could be boosted by the return of Lucas Bergvall (illness), Dejan Kulusevski (foot), Kevin Danso (hamstring) and Richarlison (calf) who will all be assessed ahead of kickoff.

Should Danso not be fit to start, Cristian Romero could link arms with Micky van de Ven at centre-back, while Postecoglou will weigh up whether to start in-form Djed Spence ahead of either Pedro Porro or Destiny Udogie at right-back or left-back respectively.

Captain Son Heung-min has started as a substitute in each of last three Premier League games, but the South Korean could be recalled to start on the left flank at the expense of Mathys Tel, while James Maddison, Pape Matar Sarr and Wilson Odobert will also be pushing for a return to the first XI.

Chelsea possible starting lineup:

Sanchez; James, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Sarr, Bentancur, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Son

We say: Chelsea 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur

Clashes between Chelsea and Spurs tend to be filled with drama and entertainment, but whether we will see another goal-fest in this one between two inconsistent teams, just as determined not to lose as they are to win, remains to be seen as both sides have lacked a cutting edge in front of goal in recent matches.

There is no doubt that the hosts will be regarded as favourites considering Spurs' dire record at Stamford Bridge - winning just one of their last 39 away league visits over the past 35 years - and if Palmer and Jackson are to return for the Blues, then they should have enough to collect three valuable points.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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Tottenham Hotspur will look to make amends for the disappointing defeat they suffered at Fulham before the international break when they make another trip across London to face Chelsea in the Premier League on Thursday night.

The result at Craven Cottage was Spurs' third defeat in five games, and has placed more pressure on under-fire manager Ange Postecoglou, who has struggled greatly in his second season, with the Lilywhites down in 14th in the Premier League table.

Success in the Europa League is all that can save Spurs' season, and much of the focus will now centre around their upcoming quarter-final with Eintracht Frankfurt, but a strong performance against rivals Chelsea is always imperative.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up Tottenham's latest injury and suspension news ahead of their clash with bitter rivals Chelsea, who have not suffered a home defeat in this fixture for seven years, but saw their four-game winning run ended by Arsenal before the international break.

Kevin Danso

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Status: Minor doubt

Type of injury: Hamstring

Possible return date: April 3 (vs. Chelsea)

Danso sustained a hamstring injury late on in their draw with Bournemouth in early March, but after missing the fixtures against AZ Alkmaar and Fulham, as well as international duty with Austria, the Lens loanee is potentially in contention to return.

Dejan Kulusevski

© Imago

Status: Major doubt

Type of injury: Foot

Possible return date: April 3 (vs. Chelsea)

Kulusevski has missed Spurs' last four matches, and was also unavailable for Sweden duty last week, with the signs suggesting this could also come just too soon for the wide man, who is recovering from a foot injury.

Richarlison

© Imago

Status: Minor doubt

Type of injury: Calf

Possible return date: April 3 (vs. Chelsea)

Postecoglou revealed early in March that he expected Richarlison to recover from a calf injury after the international break, suggesting he will be in contention to feature here, after eight games on the sidelines.

Radu Dragusin

© Imago

Status: Out

Type of injury: Knee

Possible return date: Unknown

Dragusin will not play again this season after surgery on a serious ACL injury, and the Romanian central defender is set to miss most of 2025 with the setback.

Lucas Bergvall

© Imago

Status: Minor doubt

Type of injury: Illness

Possible return date: April 3 (vs. Chelsea)

Bergvall missed international duty with Sweden due to illness and was not present for training last week, but he should be fine to feature in some capacity here.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR'S SUSPENSION LIST

Tottenham have no players suspended for this Premier League encounter.

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Chelsea return to action on Thursday night when they play host to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.

Having not featured in the FA Cup quarter-finals at the weekend, the Blues have not played since March 16 when they went down by a 1-0 scoreline at Arsenal.

With Enzo Maresca's side playing in the final fixture of this matchday, they will likely drop out of fourth spot in the standings come kickoff in this game, but the focus will be on delivering a timely three points in the race for Champions League qualification.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up Chelsea's injury and suspension news ahead of welcoming one of their London rivals to Stamford Bridge.

Cole Palmer

© Imago

Status: Minor doubt

Type of injury: Muscle

Possible return date: April 3 (vs. Tottenham Hotspur)

Cole Palmer was ruled out of the previous fixture with Arsenal due to a muscle injury, one which also kept him sidelined for England duty. However, having returned to training last week, there is optimism that the playmaker could be involved here.

Omari Kellyman

© Imago

Status: Out

Type of injury: Hamstring

Possible return date: Unknown

Omari Kellyman made his return to Under-21 action earlier this month in the hope of building some momentum ahead of next season. However, the winger lasted just over half-an-hour of that game before sustaining a recurrence of his previous hamstring injury, and he will sit out the rest of the season.

Nicolas Jackson

© Imago

Status: Minor doubt

Type of injury: Hamstring

Possible return date: April 3 (vs. Tottenham Hotspur)

Nicolas Jackson sustained a severe hamstring issue in the home win over West Ham United in early February and has been sidelined ever since. However, the Senegal international is now back in training and on course to feature in some capacity on Thursday.

Marc Guiu

© Imago

Status: Major doubt

Type of injury: Hamstring

Possible return date: April 3 (vs. Tottenham Hotspur)

Marc Guiu is said to have been on a similar recovery path as Jackson having suffered an injury in the same game. However, it appears that the young Spaniard still has work to do before he can be considered for a place in the squad.

Noni Madueke

© Imago

Status: Minor doubt

Type of injury: Hamstring

Possible return date: April 3 (vs. Tottenham Hotspur)

Noni Madueke has not been seen since the middle of February. However, like with Jackson, he is now back in training after a hamstring injury and may be available on Thursday night.

CHELSEA'S SUSPENSION LIST

Mykhaylo Mudryk

© Imago

Possible return date: Unknown

Mykhaylo Mudryk tested positive for meldonium in late 2024, and the Ukraine international is still serving a provisional suspension while an investigation continues.

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Bournemouth have reportedly placed a £75m valuation on Antoine Semenyo, with the Cherries bracing themselves for bids for the in-demand attacker during this summer's transfer window.

The 25-year-old has been in excellent form for Andoni Iraola's side during the 2024-25 campaign, scoring nine goals and registering six assists in 32 appearances in all competitions.

Semenyo has two goals and one assist in the FA Cup this season, with Bournemouth preparing to tackle Manchester City in the quarter-finals of the competition on Sunday afternoon.

Meanwhile, the forward has seven goals and five assists in 28 Premier League appearances this term, consistently making an excellent impression for a talented Cherries outfit.

There has been a host of speculation surrounding the Ghana international in recent months, with a number of Premier League teams believed to be interested in securing his signature at the end of the campaign.

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Bournemouth 'set substantial Semenyo valuation' amid exit talk

According to The Sun, Bournemouth are under no pressure to sell Semenyo this summer, and it would take an offer in the region of £75m for the club to consider letting their key attacker depart.

The report claims that Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are all keen on the forward, who made the move to the Cherries from Bristol City in the middle of the 2022-23 campaign.

Semenyo has scored 21 goals and registered 21 assists in 125 appearances for Bournemouth, while he has been capped on 21 occasions by Ghana, scoring three times and registering one assist.

The forward has a contract at the Vitality Stadium until the summer of 2029, and European football could be on offer at the club next season if the team are able to finish the campaign in a positive fashion.

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Bournemouth 'not under pressure' to sell Semenyo

Bournemouth entered the March international break off the back of a 2-1 home defeat to Brentford, and they have actually only managed to pick up one point from their last four league fixtures during a disappointing run.

Iraola's side are 10th in the Premier League table, just four points behind fifth-placed Manchester City, with Champions League football for next term certainly still on the cards for the talented team.

It is difficult to imagine Liverpool, Chelsea or Tottenham going anywhere near the £75m price tag that has allegedly been set, so it would be a surprise if the forward was on the move during this summer's transfer window.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has been handed a double fitness boost after Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke returned to training on Friday.

Palmer had started every Premier League game this season before he was forced to miss the 1-0 defeat to Arsenal with a muscle injury.

The Chelsea start subsequently withdrew from Thomas Tuchel's England squad to give him time to rest and recover ahead of the return of Premier League action.

There was some concern about Palmer's fitness status when it was reported on Thursday that he was yet to return to training at Chelsea's Cobham base.

Palmer, Madueke return to training

However, Chelsea fans would have been delighted to see images on social media of Palmer taking part in Friday's training.

Palmer has failed to score in his last seven Premier League matches, but he is still the best attacker in the Chelsea squad.

The playmaker has registered 14 goals and provided seven assists in 33 competitive appearances this season, highlighting why his return to training represents a significant boost ahead of Thursday's home meeting with London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

Like Palmer, Madueke also made his return to training on Friday after missing the last six competitive matches with a hamstring issue.

Madueke has not featured for Chelsea since being forced off in the first half of a 3-0 defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion on February 14.

Who are Chelsea's other injury concerns?

Forward Nicolas Jackson could also be available for the meeting with Tottenham after he was seen working on the grass earlier this week.

However, Chelsea are still expected to be without young forward Marc Guiu for their return to Premier League action.

The 19-year-old has been on the sidelines since being forced off in the 2-1 win over West Ham United on February 3.

Leicester City Women will welcome Tottenham Hotspur Women to the King Power Stadium for Sunday's Women's Super League fixture.

The Foxes are currently in 10th place in the WSL standings, while the visitors are just two points better off in ninth position.

Match preview

Leicester moved six points clear of the relegation spot with an entertaining 3-2 win in last Sunday's home meeting with Brighton & Hove Albion.

The Foxes appeared to be cruising to a comfortable victory when they established a 3-0 half-time lead thanks to goals from Shannon O'Brien, Saori Takarada and Shana Chossenotte.

However, they were forced to negotiate a nervy finish after Madison Haley and Fran Kirby reduced their advantage to just one goal.

Leicester clawed their way to the final whistle to clinch a third consecutive WSL home victory, meaning that they have now gone four top-flight home matches without defeat since losing to Manchester United in November.

The Foxes will hope to make full use of home advantage on Sunday as they go in search of their first WSL victory against Tottenham at the eighth time of asking.

Tottenham will be bereft of confidence after losing each of their previous six competitive matches since beating Crystal Palace 3-2 on January 26.

Their losing run started with a defeat to Everton in the Women's FA Cup, before they went on to lose five consecutive league games against Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City, Brighton and West Ham United.

Robert Vilahamn's side drew a blank in last Sunday's away meeting with the Hammers, meaning that they have now failed to score in four of their previous five league games.

The Tottenham boss will also be concerned by the fact that his team have the joint second-worst defensive record in the division, having shipped 36 goals in 17 league matches this season.

Spurs can at least take confidence from the fact that they have won six of their seven WSL meetings with Leicester, including a narrow 1-0 home win in January's reverse fixture.

Leicester City Women Women's Super League form:

Leicester City Women form (all competitions):

Tottenham Hotspur Women Women's Super League form:

Tottenham Hotspur Women form (all competitions):

Team News

Leicester remain without the services of Ruby Mace, Jutta Rantala, Noemie Mouchon and Lena Petermann due to knee injuries.

Miquel has revealed that a late decision will have to be made on the availability of Sari Kees and Missy Goodwin.

The Leicester manager could decide to stick with the same lineup that started last Sunday's 3-2 win over Brighton.

As for the visitors, long-term absentee Kit Graham is continuing to work on her recovery from anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Vilahamn has confirmed that Bethany England remains sidelined with a quad injury that has kept her out of the last two matches.

The Tottenham boss could make a few changes in an attempt to find a winning lineup, with Luana Buhler, Matilda Vinberg and Jessica Naz among those who could feature in the starting XI.

Leicester City Women possible starting lineup:

Leitzig; Swaby, Howard, Thibaud, Ale; Tierney, Cayman; Chossenotte, Cain, Takarada; O'Brien

Tottenham Hotspur Women possible starting lineup:

Kop; Morris, Buhler, Bartrip, Nilden; Summanen, Spence; Holdt, Vinberg, Naz; Thomas

We say: Leicester City Women 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur Women

Tottenham are low on confidence after losing each of their last six competitive matches, and we think that they will experience another unsuccessful outing on Sunday, considering that Leicester have won their last four home games in all competitions.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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Cole Palmer is reportedly yet to take part in Chelsea training after he sustained an injury before the international break.

The 22-year-old was a notable absentee for Chelsea's narrow 1-0 defeat against London rivals Arsenal earlier this month.

Palmer's absence represented a significant blow for Chelsea given the fact he had started every Premier League game this season before he was ruled out of the Arsenal clash.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca confirmed after the defeat that Palmer has sustained a muscle injury in training, although he was hopeful he would return to action following the international break.

Palmer subsequently withdrew from the England squad for Thomas Tuchel's first two games against Albania and Latvia.

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Palmer yet to return to training

The hope was that the international window would give Palmer the chance to rest and recover before Chelsea return to action against Tottenham Hotspur on April 3.

However, there still seems to be considerable doubt as to whether Chelsea's star man will be ready for next Thursday's London derby at Stamford Bridge.

According to football.london, Palmer has not featured in Chelsea training since he picked up the injury prior to the defeat against Arsenal.

The Chelsea attacker has just under a week to return to training and prove his fitness for the meeting with Ange Postecoglou's side.

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Palmer's importance to Chelsea

Palmer experienced a dip in form before his injury, going seven consecutive Premier League matches without a goal or assist.

Nevertheless, he still remains Chelsea's standout attacker, having racked up 14 goals and six assists in 28 Premier League appearances this term.

To put Palmer's impressive numbers into context, only Chris Wood, Alexander Isak, Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah have registered more goal contributions in the Premier League this season.

Palmer has also enjoyed success in his three previous meetings with Spurs, scoring two goals and providing one assist across those encounters.

In fact, the 22-year-old netted a brace to help the Blues claim a 4-3 away victory over Tottenham in December's reverse fixture.

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