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Graham Potter makes big training decision for Spurs clash despite growing Chelsea pressure

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(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Despite giving the Chelsea players two full days off training in the aftermath of their 1-0 defeat to Southampton, Graham Potter’s side will not have a full training session on Thursday.

The Chelsea squad were given Sunday and Monday off by the 47-year-old despite losing to bottom-of-the-table Saints, which saw the Blues booed off by the Stamford Bridge crowd.

Chelsea returned to their Cobham training ground on Tuesday for training to begin preparations to face fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon in north London.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Chelsea: Live stream, TV channel, kick-off time, team news and prediction

Morale is down in the Chelsea squad. Ben Chilwell revealed after Saturday’s loss that the mood was “flat” within the team, but knows it’s only down to them to turn the form around. Chelsea have won just three of their last 17 matches in all competitions.

“It’s not good enough,” Chilwell told BBC Match of the Day on Saturday evening. “We need to win these games.

“It’s a pretty flat dressing room at the moment. The only people that can turn it around is ourselves.”

But on Thursday, Potter and his staff opted not to carry out a full training session, reports The Athletic. The players were also pictured doing gym work inside.

Christian Pulisic and N’Golo Kante have both been spotted joining in partly with training as they step up their returns ahead of hoped comebacks next month.

Potter will be able to hand starts to Reece James, Thiago Silva, Raheem Sterling and Mykhailo Mudryk after being told to not start the quartet against Southampton due to fears of risking significant injury.

READ MORE: Five reasons why Chelsea are still backing Graham Potter despite increasing pressure

Chelsea will need as many of their first-team players available to try to claim their first win in six months after back-to-back defeats followed a run of three successive draws.

However, their recent form is against them. Chelsea have not won away from home since October 2020, over four months ago, with their last victory coming against Aston Villa in a 2-0 win on October 16 at Villa Park.

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