Injury-free Chelsea brace for tough fixture run, starting with Newcastle clash

Newcastle: Chelsea head to St James’ Park looking to reach the quarterfinals of the League Cup and Maresca confirmed at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday that he has a full bill of health to select from. “There are no injuries, so everything is fine. It will be a tough game and of course, we have concerns about the opposition as we do for each fixture, but we played two days ago so we know what they are like,” said Maresca in the pre-game conference. “We will see how today’s training session goes and then we will make a decision on who plays. Maresca’s side are preparing to face Newcastle for the second time this week,” he said. Having already played Liverpool on October 20, Chelsea will be facing Newcastle in the Carabao Cup, for the second time this week after having already registered a 2-1 win against their opponents in a league fixture on Saturday, before having the task of playing Manchester United and Arsenal in consecutive game weeks. The Blues have recently welcomed Reece James back into the side after a lengthy spell on the sidelines, with the Italian head coach confirming the skipper is feeling good and available for selection. Maresca said, “He played two games in a row with us in the Premier League – against Liverpool and Newcastle – and in both games he was very good. It didn’t surprise me because I know him and how important he is for us, for his teammates, for the club. So the only thing we want is to do is keep him fit and this is the main target for him.” Wesley Fofana is another who has impressed so far this season having similarly overcome long-term injury problems. The France international has cemented his place as a regular in the side under Maresca, often featuring in the heart of defence alongside Levi Colwill. “He had a bad moment in the first half, very bad, but he is a fighter and was probably playing with pain. I said in one of my press conferences that I really love Wes because it’s not easy after more than one year out to come back and be a fighter like he is,” he added. –IANS