The uncertainty surrounding Chelsea’s future off the field appears to have energised Thomas Tuchel’s squad, who have done a fantastic job of focusing on their on-field concerns as they continue to strive for victory on three fronts this season.
Chelsea went to the FA Cup semi-finals with a 2-0 win over Boro in the FA Cup last time out, after Champions League success over Lille and a contentious top-flight victory over Newcastle United. Hakim Ziyech and Romelu Lukaku both scored.
Tuchel may be looking ahead to the first leg of his team’s Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid on Wednesday evening, but the Blues will not want to lose their hold on third position in the Premier League rankings.
Brentford were dealt a brutal reality check when they visited the King Power Stadium in March, after apparently turning a corner with back-to-back wins against Norwich City and Burnley. Two magnificent Leicester goals condemned the Bees to another another defeat.
Before halftime, Timothy Castagne and James Maddison both scored stunning goals for the Foxes, and even though Yoane Wissa made things interesting with a goal of his own five minutes from time, Brentford were unable to make the net ripple once more.
After a strong start to the season, Thomas Frank’s team is finding it more difficult to secure a berth in the big league for the 2022-23 season than they had anticipated.
Chelsea’s Ben Chilwell is out for the foreseeable future, and Tuchel has stated that Callum Hudson-Odoi is still out, although Andreas Christensen and Reece James are expected to return.
However, the Blues manager will most likely avoid taking any undue chances with the pair, although Saul Niguez and Kepa Arrizabalaga might return to the team after recent sickness.
Because Christian Pulisic will be late returning from international service, a slot in the attack might open up for Timo Werner, who scored for Germany against Israel with Kai Havertz.
Meanwhile, Josh Dasilva of Brentford has served his three-match suspension but has suffered a hamstring injury, while Julian Jeanvier is still out with a major knee injury.
Christian Eriksen and Saman Ghoddos both tested positive for COVID-19 before the Leicester game, but the latter came back with a flourish for Denmark, scoring in both of their friendlies against the Netherlands and Serbia.
Frank will test the playmaker’s fitness, but he should be good to start in the hole at Stamford Bridge, while Wissa will be in no hurry to leave following his consolation against Leicester.