Chelsea have been handed a major boost ahead of their Champions League clash with Lille as Antonio Rudiger returns to the starting XI.
The German defender has been out since the latter stages of last season with a recurring knee problem and the Blues have struggled defensively in his absence.
His return comes just in time for Chelsea’s biggest match of the season so far, with a win needed against Lille to guarantee progress to the knockout stages.
And Blues boss Frank Lampard will also like the look of the visiting team, who have made six changes from the XI which beat Brest in Ligue 1 on Friday.
Lille have named their entire front four from that game – Renato Sanches, Nanitamo Ikone, Jonathan Bamba and Victor Osimhen – on the bench at Stamford Bridge.
The French side have no chance of progressing from Group H having taken just one points from their five games.
Chelsea are currently third in the group but the two teams above them, Ajax and Valencia, are facing each other tonight.
A draw will be enough for the Blues if Ajax win that one, but they will need three points in any other scenario.
Confirmed XIs
Chelsea: Arrizabalaga, Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Zouma, Emerson Palmieri, Kante, Jorginho, Kovacic, Willian, Abraham, Pulisic.
Subs: Christensen, Barkley, Caballero, Mount, Hudson-Odoi, Batshuayi, James.
Lille: Maignan, Celik, Gabriel, Djalo, Pied, Soumare, Thiago Maia, Yazici, Xeka, Luiz Araujo, Remy.
Subs: Leo, Fonte, Osimhen, Ikone, Bamba, Sanches, Bradaric.
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