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A scan has revealed that Diego Costa suffered a bruised tibia in Chelsea’s 3-3 draw with Everton over the weekend.

The combative striker scored one goal and assisted another in the game at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, but he had to be substituted when he limped off after 80 minutes. The club’s interim manager, Guus Hiddink, said this is star striker had been in ‘a lot of pain’ when he spoke to the press after the match.

How long the defending Premier League champions will be without the Brazilian-born Spanish international remains to be seen, though their next match is against title-chasing Arsenal on Sunday afternoon. Costa, who struggled to find the net when Mourinho was manager earlier in the season, has scored 5 goals since the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ was sacked and Hiddink took over in December.

The 27 year-old was top scorer for the London club last term, netting 20 goals as he helped to fire the Blues to a Premier League and League Cup double. He appeared to fallout with Jose Mourinho towards the end of the Portuguese manager’s time in charge, however. The pair had a public spat towards the end of a match against Maccabi Tel-Aviv before the striker appeared to throw his bib at his then manager when he was an unused substitute during a 0-0 draw with Spurs at White Hart Lane.

The forward has returned to form under Hiddink and the Dutchman will be hoping that the bruised shin will not keep him out of action for too long.

Chelsea’s interim manager, Guus Hiddink, has admitted that the threat of relegation is a very real one for the defending Premier League champions.

Despite remaining unbeaten since the Dutchman took over from the departed Jose Mourinho in December, Chelsea remain closer to the relegation zone than to the top four. They are six points away from Sunderland who occupy the last relegation spot, whilst they are twelve points away from Tottenham in fourth.

The next five fixtures for the Blues are Everton at Stamford Bridge, Arsenal at The Emirates, Watford away, Man United at home and Newcastle also at the Bridge. Looking slightly more short-term Hiddink said, “We have two difficult games coming up. If you don’t gather points there, you don’t know what the others do. The Premier League can surprise you”.

There has been a slight improvement in the club’s fortunes since the departure of the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’, with Chelsea sitting just one point above the relegation zone when the club’s owner, Roman Abramovich, decided to sack the Portuguese manager for the second time.

Hiddink said, “There are 12 points difference to fourth place, which is Tottenham. We all like to look forward and to the top of the table, but also don’t be unrealistic – you’re six points off the line of relegation. That’s also a fact. We have to work hard and be very concentrated and gather our points to step up. [Relegation?] It’s reality.

The London club are still going to be without Eden Hazard and Radamel Falcao for the visit of Everton, whilst Pedro’s position could be under threat after a decidedly poor display against West Brom during the week.

Everton could welcome back Tom Cleverly who has been out with an ankle injury but Seamus Coleman and James McCarthy will not be able to turn out for the Merseysiders who won the reverse fixture 3-1 in September.

Speaking ahead of the match Everton’s manager, Roberto Martinez, said, “Chelsea are a team full of winning footballers. They won the league so the quality is there. They have players that can produce magic. They have had a couple of very impressive performances under Guus Hiddink, and have shown plenty of fight”.

Chelsea are aiming to bounce back from their disappointing draw against West Brom when they take on Everton on Saturday. The Pensioners were heavily beaten when these two met at Goodison Park earlier in the season, so the players should be desperate to pick up the win in this one. Can they get the better of the Toffees, or will defensive problems cost the champions points once again?

While the team were awful defensively against West Brom, there were a few encouraging signs going forward. The full backs were making dangerous runs from deep, while Kenedy proved that he’s an alternative attacking midfielder to the current crop, of which only Willian has looked good this season. Maybe it’s time to give the youngster a go from the start this time?

Kenedy deserves a shot, especially if Eden Hazard is missing once again here. He’s been out since coming off with an injury against Crystal Palace. The Belgian seems to go over in a light breeze these days, and he’s failed to get a goal all season. With young, hungry alternatives in the wide positions, the big names should be facing a fight to get in the team.

The defence has been awful at times this season, but there’s little option to rotate at the back. The main problem is that the back four aren’t getting enough protection, with neither Nemanja Matic nor John Obi Mikel doing that job consistently well. Maybe it’s time that we see both of them starting, which would help out the struggling defenders.

Cesc Fabregas could fight it out for a spot in the attacking midfield places, which may add some much needed competition in there. All the creativity comes from the full backs and Willian right now anyway, so wouldn’t it be better to drop one of the midfielders who isn’t producing, and replace him with a defensive minded player to try and shore up the leaky defence?

Keeping the defence secure is an even bigger priority this weekend, ahead of the return of the forward who got away. Romelu Lukaku shows up at Stamford Bridge as the top scorer in the league, a man who Jose Mourinho sold off. Questions have to be asked about that decision, especially at a time when the team needs a proven scorer up front.

The other big worry here is Everton’s clean sheet at Manchester City. The Toffees came away from the Etihad with a 0-0 draw, so just what could they do to the Blues? If they can shut out the likes of Sergio Aguero, then they shouldn’t have too much trouble against Pedro and co. With goals in their team and an improving defence, the visitors might just steal a win here. A response is needed by Chelsea, so it might be time for Hiddink to make some big changes.

LCN Verdict: 1-1 draw

Chelsea’s latest filing to Companies House shows that the football club’s wage bill went up by £25 million in the year ending 30th of June 2015.

The increase, which took the club’s wage bill from £190 million to £215.6 million, means that Chelsea currently have the highest wage bill of any club in the Premier League. The nearest competitors to Chelsea were Manchester United, whose wage bill came out at £203 million, and Manchester City’s, whose wage bill was £193.8 million. Chelsea’s London rivals Arsenal revealed that their wage bill is the fourth largest in the country at £192 million.

In the 2014-2015 season Chelsea won both the League Cup and the Premier League title, so the news regarding the wage bill seems to confirm a long held belief by football’s financial experts that the team with the highest wage bill will win the league more often than not.

The information regarding the wage bill does not reveal the split of how much money was spent on player’s wages and how much was spent on backroom staff and those that maintain the ground itself. What is revealed is that the club made a profit of £42 million that season thanks to the sale of players such as Ryan Bertrand to Southampton, Andre Schurrle to Wolfsburg and Romelu Lukaku to Everton. Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole also left during the 2014-2015 season.

The club’s accounts also happened to reveal that it had made a pre-tax loss of £22.6 million. That compares poorly to a £19 million profit from the previous year. The club themselves claim that turnover fell by £5.5 million to £319 million because the broadcasting revenue from the Champion’s League dropped after they got knocked out of the competition by Paris Saint Germain.

The difference in profit will also have been in no small part due to the arrival of new players, such as Cesc Fabregas, Diego Costa and the return of Didier Drogba for his second spell at the club.

Chelsea’s interim manager, Guus Hiddink, has told the press that there wasn’t much to a reported bust-up between two of the club’s star players, Oscar and Diego Costa.

Reports emerged from the newspaper The Telegraph that the two players had had to be separated after an ‘outrageous challenge’ from the Brazilian, Oscar, on Costa during a training match. The 24-year-old took to Twitter to deny the incident, saying, “For those who are talking to me and @diegocosta struggle today in training he’s lying, he’s one of my best friends and never fight ;)”.

Hiddink has admitted there was a coming together, however. He said, “Oscar apologised in front of the group and they all started laughing, jokes were made”. The bust-up came as the defending Premier League champions prepared to begin their assault on this season’s FA Cup with a match against League One side Scunthorpe on Sunday.

Dutchman Hiddink arrived at Stamford Bridge in December last year after the departure of the club’s former manager, Jose Mourinho. It is the second time that he has come in midway through the season as he also did so in 2009 when Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich decided to sack then manager Luis Felipe Scolari.

Hiddink led the Blues to an FA Cup triumph that season and would like to repeat the feat this time around, so he was keen to play down the significance of the incident between two of his charges. In his pre-match press conference before the 3rd round game he said, “It’s a pity that our photographer had a day off or he could have shot beautiful pictures from the two. They were jesting a bit after a charge from behind from the smaller of the two, Oscar. Costa took a charge from behind and it was overdone, especially when you know Oscar is not the biggest tackler of the team. They stumbled over the ground, stood up, as a normal reaction, they jested a bit, but we came in between them to say that there was no need to hit each other. Those things happen when you’re close on the edge. Oscar apologised for over-reacting, then they looked at each other and started laughing. It was a normal battle”.

Chelsea have had a troubled season so far, lying in 14th place after a terrible start to the campaign under former manager Mourinho. The self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ lost nine league games and saw his side knocked out of the League Cup by Stoke City before Abramovich decided to step in and ask Hiddink to get the club’s season back on track. Rumours of the bust-up at the club’s Cobham training ground making it into the press are unlikely to improve the owner’s mood.

Chelsea’s former club doctor, Eva Carneiro, has appeared at an employment tribunal that will hear evidence regarding her constructive dismissal case against her former employers.

Carneiro is reportedly suing the defending Premier League champions for constructive dismissal and breach of contract, with the preliminary hearing on the case taking place yesterday at the London South Employment Tribunal, Croydon.

The case stems from when the club’s then manager, Jose Mourinho, called Carneiro and Chelsea’s physio, Jon Fearn, ‘impulsive and naive’ for running on to the pitch towards the end of Chelsea’s opening game of the season at Stamford Bridge. The Blues were already down to 10 men during the match against Swansea City after their goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, had been sent off for a foul on the Swans’ striker Bafetimbi Gomis. Eden Hazard then seemed to be in some physical discomfort after a tackle left him prone on the turf.

The match referee, Michael Oliver, called Chelsea’s medical staff onto the pitch several times before they responded, running on to give Hazard treatment under the referee’s instruction. According to the rules the Belgian then had to leave the pitch temporarily, leaving the home team with nine players.

In the aftermath of the game Carneiro found that her role was ‘downgraded’, meaning that she was not allowed on the Chelsea bench for the club’s next game against Manchester City. She was also not allowed to be around the Chelsea training sessions, though she could still deal with members of the first-team.

In September last year it was announced that Carneiro had left Chelsea, then on the 30th of the month the Football Association announced that they had cleared Jose Mourinho of making discriminatory comments and confirmed that they would not be taking any disciplinary action against the Portuguese manager. In October Carneiro expressed her disappointment at this decision and confirmed that the FA had at no point asked to speak to her about Mourinho’s comments, including the fact that he appeared to call her a ’filho da puto’, which translates from Portuguese to being ‘son of a bitch’.

The claim against Chelsea was lodged by Carneiro’s lawyers in late October 2015, with the Queen’s Council representing Carneiro confirming yesterday that no settlement had been reached with the club and that a date has been fixed for the next hearing. In November last year Carneiro also lodged a separate, yet connected, legal claim against Mourinho himself.

In December Chelsea decided to sack the 52 year old manager, replacing him on and interim basis with Dutchman Guus Hiddink. Some members of the press claimed that part of the reason Mourinho lost the support of his dressing room was due to his treatment of Carneiro, someone that the players had a lot of respect for. More details will no doubt emerge on the case in the coming weeks.

Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink praised his side’s 3-0 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park over the weekend, before suggesting that the result was proof that the Blues still have what it takes to make the top four this season.

The defending Premier League champions are paying the price for a terrible start to the season under their former manager Jose Mourinho. The self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ oversaw an incredible nine losses, including four at Stamford Bridge, before he was sacked by the club’s owner Roman Abramovich. He was replaced by Hiddink on an interim basis last month.

Since the Dutchman’s arrival the Blues have enjoyed something of a revival, being unbeaten in their last four matches with two wins and two draws. The poor opening they suffered at the start of the campaign means that they sit thirteen points behind Tottenham who are in fourth place.

With eighteen league games still to play, though, Hiddink believes Chelsea still have a chance of challenging for a Champion’s League place. He said, “It’s difficult because this league has become so strong; everyone can win from everyone, It’s very difficult to get there. It’s possible but there’s a long way to go”.

Though the new manager’s confidence will be music to the ear’s of Chelsea’s fans, it does seem a touch unrealistic. The highest any club has ever finished in the Premier League era when they’ve had 20 points or less from 19 games is eighth. Even in this topsy-turvy season when anything seems possible that would be an impressive return from the 69 year old.

The win over Crystal Palace moved Chelsea up to fourteenth in the league and six points clear of the relegation zone. It also capped their longest unbeaten run of the season. The former Netherlands manager feels that the Blues have to regain their mental superiority, saying, “We have to get back to thinking why we were champions” and suggesting that the win was ‘desperately needed’.

Some critics of the club have asked why exactly the players have been able to put in such consistent performances now that Jose Mourinho has left when they seemed incapable of doing it when he was there. John Terry, the club captain, said that the players ‘let everybody down’. The 35 year old central defender said, “It’s unfortunate what’s happened. We are where we are, and slowly climbing the Premier League table”.

The former England captain also believes that Hiddink has helped the club to ‘pick things up’ since his arrival as interim manager, something he also did in 2009 when Luis Felipe Scolari was sacked. Speaking about the team’s performance against their London rivals Palace John Terry said, “That was the Chelsea of last year. Overall, as well as the goals, it was different class”.

As the Blues got knocked out of the League Cup when under Jose Mourinho’s leadership, they now have to wait until Sunday to play again and see if they are able to maintain their good momentum. Chelsea will host Scunthorpe in the FA Cup, the competition that Hiddink won with the club during his last temporary spell in 2009.

Chelsea have been informed that their Colombian striker, Radamel Falcao, has suffered an injury set-back that will see him ruled out until at least mid-January.

The 29 year old is at Stamford Bridge on a season long loan from Monaco but hasn’t appeared for the defending Premier League champions since their 3-1 defeat to Liverpool on the 31st of October. He has appeared nine times for Chelsea this season, scoring one goal, after spending last season on loan at Manchester United.

The Colombian was considered to be one of the best strikers in the world until he injured his knee whilst playing for Monaco in 2014 and he has struggled to recover his form since then. Guus Hiddink, Chelsea’s interim manager after the sacking of Jose Mourinho earlier this month, said, “I think it’s back to square one. We had him in a game and he had this injury again that he had before. It’s the inside of his thigh. We hope within 10 days he might be fit again, though not to play”.

The Dutchman has found his options limited in recent weeks, with Loic Remy also suffering from injury problems and Diego Costa serving a suspension for cumulative yellow card offences. With Pedro struggling to settle in England since his move from Barcelona and Aston Villa keen on signing Frenchman Remy, Hiddink will be hoping that Falcao can return to training sooner rather than later.

Young Chelsea striker Patrick Bamford has issued an apology after saying that his loan spell at Crystal Palace has been ‘terrible’.

The 22 year old Chelsea striker has been on a season long loan at Selhurst Park since the summer, but he has only made five league appearances for the Eagles, with all of them coming from the bench. He has started two games for Palace, but both of those were in the League Cup and that has led to sense of frustration from the England Under-21 international.

After Palace’s 0-0 draw with Swansea City on Monday night the Chelsea striker told the press, “That was my last game for Palace. It has been terrible”. It is believed that at that point he hadn’t even spoken to Alan Pardew, Crystal Palace’s manager, about his desire to return to Stamford Bridge.

On Wednesday, however, the youngster took to Twitter to clarify what he meant by his statement. He used the popular social media platform to say, “My comments were taken out of context. I want to apologise. I’ve really enjoyed my time at Palace, the lads were brilliant, the gaffer and training were great. I couldn’t have been at a nicer club. I’m just disappointed I couldn’t do more for the team”.

With Loic Remy rumoured to be a target for Aston Villa and Radamel Falcao suffering an injury setback, Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink faces something of a dilemma with his striking options. Although he has Pedro and Kenedy available for selection neither of them are out and out strikers, meaning that Diego Costa is the only fully fit striker available for the defending Premier League champions during the hectic January schedule.

Aston Villa’s manager Remi Garde has confirmed that the Midlands club would like to sign Loic Remy from Chelsea on loan during the January transfer window.

Villa have endured an horrendous opening to their Premier League campaign, winning just one match and losing 13, including six of their last ten. They remain rooted firmly to the bottom of the league table, eleven points clear of safety and with the joint worst goal difference in the league.

Garde hasn’t given up hope, though, with the Frenchman keen to bring his compatriot in for the remainder of the season to give the Midlanders a fighting chance at staying up. He said, “Loic is special. He knows the country and league, and would be an interesting player for the team”.

Remy joined Chelsea for £10.5 million after he moved from Queen’s Park Rangers last year but has only started one Premier League game this season. He was originally hoping to sign for Liverpool and even travelled with the squad on their tour of the United States last summer only to fail his medical. His starts at Stamford Bridge have been limited this term because of injury, perhaps justifying the Merseyside club’s decision to pull the plug on a possible transfer.

The 28 year old has scored once in the Premier League for the defending champions and he also notched up two goals in the League Cup before Chelsea were knocked out by Stoke City. Whilst not exactly prolific, his form has been good enough for Guus Hiddink to take exception at Garde’s decision to speak publicly about his player. He said, “You have to respect where the players are. If you are interested, talk first to the people with whom they are contracted. You cannot go into details. The player has signed a contract here and must be fit for us. He’s having a difficult time regarding his injuries. He has to prove first of all that he’s a good Chelsea player. He has had a calf problem for several days”.

Garde knows Loic Remy from when both of them were at Lyon, with the current manager being the assistant manager at the Stade de Gerland when Remy started his career there. He knows that his countryman has the ability to stick the ball in the back of the net, something that Villa have failed to do too many times this campaign. They currently have 15 goals from 19 games, the lowest in the league.

Hiddink is aware that Chelsea aren’t in a much better position, sitting just three points away from the relegation zone in 14th place. He said, “We need all the players here until the end of the season. Chelsea are still in a position where we have to improve to get up the table, so we need all our players at the moment. So we don’t talk about the rumours”.

With the transfer window opening on the 2nd of January 2016 it won’t be long before we know what sort of moves all of the teams in the Premier League will be making in the market. Remi Garde may yet succeed in bringing Loic Remy to Villa Park, but whether the Frenchman will be able to save the club from relegation remains to be seen.