Christian Pulisic and Cesar Azpilicueta doubts for Chelsea’s game with Newcastle

Posted Saturday, March 12, 2022 by PA

Christian Pulisic and Cesar Azpilicueta are doubts for Chelsea ahead of Sunday’s match against Newcastle at Stamford Bridge.

Pulisic missed Thursday’s 3-1 win at Norwich because of illness while Azpilicueta was withdrawn at half-time at Carrow Road because of stomach problems, leaving the pair’s involvement against the Magpies uncertain.

Reece James is expected to be unavailable because of the muscular leg strain that saw him miss out against the Canaries.

In-form Newcastle midfielder Joelinton is a doubt after missing Thursday night’s 2-1 win at Southampton with a groin problem.

The Brazilian, like defender Fabian Schar, has been playing through discomfort, but was unable to play on the South Coast, while striker Allan Saint-Maximin was also absent through illness and both will be assessed.

Midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, who marked his first league start with the winning goal at St Mary’s Stadium, limped off late on with cramp, but is expected to be fit, unlike central defender Federico Fernandez (side strain), full-backs Kieran Tripper (fractured metatarsal) and Jamal Lewis (groin), midfielder Isaac Hayden (knee) and striker Callum Wilson (calf).

Chelsea provisional squad: Mendy, Arrizabalaga, Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Christensen, Silva, Chalobah, Sarr, Alonso, Kenedy, Hudson-Odoi, Jorginho, Kante, Kovacic, Saul, Loftus-Cheek, Barkley, Mount, Ziyech, Vale, Pulisic, Werner, Havertz, Lukaku.

Newcastle provisional squad: Dubravka, Darlow, Manquillo, Murphy, Targett, Krafth, Burn, Schar, Dummett, Lascelles, Shelvey, Guimaraes, Longstaff, Willock, Fraser, Ritchie, Almiron, Joelinton, Saint-Maximin, Wood, Gayle.