Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel knows a victory a Villa Park on Sunday is the only way to guarantee qualification for next season’s Champions League.
They will be facing a Villa side who will be in confident mood after winning 2-1 away at Tottenham on Wednesday evening so this will be a tricky fixture to navigate.
N’Golo Kante’s fitness is a worry heading into the weekend but, after the Frenchman was taken off as a precautionary measure against Leicester, there is optimism he’ll be ready for the final day of the season.
Kai Havertz (muscular) is also in the same boat. The German was absent from the matchday squad on Tuesday but he is expected to be available for the trip to the Midlands.
Andreas Christensen (hamstring) was on course to make his comeback for one of the Leicester games but it seems his return has been delayed.
Aston Villa boss Dean Smith has three players sidelined with injury. Morgan Sanson (knee), Matty Cash (hamstring) and Trezeguet (knee) have all been ruled out of contention. Ross Barkley is ineligible to play against his parent club.
The bookmakers have made Chelsea the favourites with Betway currently pricing them at 1/2 for the win. A draw is 15/4 with Bet 365 while a victory for Villa is 6/1 at Unibet.
Predicted Score – 2-1 to Chelsea
