Thiago Silva and N’Golo Kante injury doubts for Chelsea’s clash with Brighton

Thiago Silva and N’Golo Kante will be injury doubts for Chelsea’s Premier League clash with Brighton on Wednesday.

Defender Silva hobbled out of the 3-1 Boxing Day win at Aston Villa with a thigh issue, though Chelsea hope to have caught the problem before a major flare-up.

Kante will be checked for a knee issue, while Timo Werner and Kai Havertz could return after Covid isolation but Ruben Loftus-Cheek is a doubt with a foot injury.

Brighton will assess forward Leandro Trossard after hamstring tightness forced him out of the Boxing Day win over Brentford.

Midfielder Yves Bissouma returns to contention following a one-match ban, while defenders Joel Veltman and Shane Duffy could return after missing out against the Bees.

Midfielder Steven Alzate and forward Danny Welbeck returned from three-month injury absences as substitutes against Thomas Frank’s side but captain Lewis Dunk (knee) remains out.

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

Provisional Brighton squad: Sanchez, Scherpen, Lamptey, Cucurella, Webster, Burn, Veltman, Duffy, Turns, Mac Allister, Mwepu, Bissouma, Lallana, Moder, Gross, Alzate, March, Richards, Leonard, Maupay, Trossard, Connolly, Welbeck, Ferguson, Locadia.