Chelsea coach Maurizio Sarri has claimed he cannot promise starting spots against West Ham to duo Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, despite the pairs impressive midweek performances.
The two England internationals started for the Blues against Brighton, where Sarri’s men ran out comfortable 3-0 winners.
Hudson-Odoi, making his full debut in the Premier League, set up Olivier Giroud’s opening goal, while Loftus-Cheek scored and assisted a goal in the comprehensive win.
However, with three fixtures in the space of seven days next week, Sarri admits he will need to rotate his squad in order to keep his players fresh and ready for the final season run in.
When asked if Hudson-Odoi would start against the Hammers on Monday night, as reported by Evening Sport, Sarri said:
I don’t know. I have to decide who is going to play against West Ham and who is going to play Slavia.
When asked about Loftus-Cheek, who was substituted against Brighton late on with an injury, Sarri continued by saying:
Maybe [he will start on Monday], but we need to check every day the condition of his back.
This morning, he had only a recovery session because he needs time to recover after a match. The problem in this moment is only that, probably, he’s not able to play for 90 minutes.
No. I don’t think [the back issue is a big concern]. It’s a problem, of course, but I think our doctor is able to take under control the situation.
