CHELSEA were drawn with Leicester City in the FA Cup quarter finals, after knocking out Premier League leaders Liverpool.
But victory came at a price with Willian and Mateo Kovacic now both out with Achilles injuries.
Follow all the latest updates from the Bridge below…
CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
Prem clubs now expect they will have to play some games behind closed doors because of the coronavirus.
SunSport reported how League chiefs have sent letters to all 20 clubs warning of the possibility of no fans in grounds to ensure the season is completed.
And Everton chief finance officer Sasha Ryazantsev revealed the Goodison outfit now anticipated behind closed doors games are set to be played.
Ryazentsev, speaking at the FT Business of Football Summit in London, said: “It would be a forced decision rather than one we would proactively engage in.
“But the whole situation goes far beyond the world of sport.
“Of course nobody wants to play behind closed doors and I don’t think it’s inevitable at the moment that it will happen.
“But we feel it is quite likely it may happen in the coming weeks.”
Fears over the spread of the virus by unnecessary travel saw speakers from Uefa and Sky Sports, including pundit Gary Neville, pull out of the conference at a Mayfair hotel.
But Ryazantsev did make the trip and added: “If it were to happen it’s not about the money but looking after our supporters.
“I believe they would understand that.
“I believe it will have a negative financial impact on the club and football but a temporary one rather thana lasting impact.”
LOOKING FORWARD
After Tuesday's win over Liverpool in the FA Cup, Frank Lampard's side return to Premier League action on Sunday as they host Everton.
Let's take a look at the next five games for the Blues…
- March 8, 2pm: Everton (h) – Premier League
- March 14, 5:30pm: Aston Villa (a) – Premier League
- March 18, 8pm: Bayern Munich (a) – Champions League
- March 21, TBC: Leicester (a) – FA Cup quarter-finals
- April 5, 2pm: West Ham (a) – Premier League
REAL HEROES
A Real Madrid star of the past met a Real Madrid star of the present when Eden Hazard posed for a photo with basketball ace Luka Doncic.
The Dallas Mavericks guard, 21, dwarfed the diminutive Hazard as they embraced and swapped shirts following Wednesday's win over New Orleans Pelicans.
A hairline fracture in his leg has ruled the former Chelsea star out, potentially until the summer, and he was filmed telling Doncic that he was set to undergo surgery on Thursday.
Real and Hazard agreed that an operation was necessary after he picked up the injury in the February 22 defeat at Levante.
The Carell Clinic in Dallas will oversee the procedure although Hazard appeared to be moving freely in the meeting with Doncic.
After joining the Mavs from Real Madrid's basketball team in 2018, the 6ft 7in star was named in the NBA All-Star team for the 2019/20 season.
In doing so, Doncic became the youngest European player to earn the honour having previously won the EuroLeague as the division MVP in 2018.
Hazard has found life in a Blancos jersey somewhat tougher with just one goal scored after an initial £88.5million move from Chelsea.
@lukadoncic ? @hazardeden_10 ⚽️ Plus a surprise guest crashes at the end ? #MFFL
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CIAO, VELLA!
The Blues are set to battle it out with Inter Milan for Genoa starlet Nicolo Rovella, according to reports in Italy.
Frank Lampard has placed an emphasis on youth since taking over at Stamford Bridge and the 18-year-old is tipped for big things in Serie A.
However Rovella has only played 28 minutes in the Italian top flight along with a single outing in the Coppa Italia.
That has not deterred Chelsea and Inter from tracking the midfielder, according to Calciomercato.
The Nerazzurri were reportedly the first team noticing Rovella's rise which so far includes a number of caps for Italy's national youth teams.
More recent is the interest coming from West London and that could hasten Inter's bid for the youngster.
ALL CHANGE
Chelsea's game with Manchester City has been put back due to the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Both sides safely progressed this week after wins over Liverpool and Sheffield Wednesday respectively.
They were originally set to face off on Saturday, March 21 at 12.30pm.
On the weekend the game would have gone ahead, Chelsea will now face Leicester away in the FA Cup quarter-final while Man City visit Newcastle.
As yet, there is no confirmed date for the rescheduled tie.
With Chelsea scrapping for a European spot, this game could be crucial in their quest for the Champions League.
City fans are used to games being moved at short notice, with their top-flight clash against Arsenal now set for next Wednesday.
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