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Potter on Dortmund disappointment, Southampton, Koulibaly praise & managing fitness after quadruple Chelsea boost

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(Photo by BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images)

Graham Potter has told his Chelsea side to make sure they are ready to overcome their midweek disappointment in Germany when they face Southampton.

Chelsea return to Premier League action on Saturday afternoon at Stamford Bridge after suffering a 1-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

The narrow loss ended their run of four without defeat, however their unbeaten streak remains in the league due the win and three consecutive draws coming during domestic action.

Potter is hoping his side can end their goal drought to claim their first win in four league games to help push them back up the table, where they currently place 10th.

They come up against Southampton who are bottom and without a manager after sacking Nathan Jones last Sunday.

Chelsea will welcome back Raheem Sterling to the squad following injury, however Reece James and Thiago Silva are among those reportedly being rested by Potter as they look to manage the squad’s minutes.

Ahead of Southampton’s visit to Stamford Bridge, here’s what Potter told Chelsea TV.


Reflecting on Dortmund and previewing Southampton

“We’re obviously disappointed with the result in Dortmund, but we’re positive about aspects of the performance. Now it’s about recovering everybody and making sure we’re ready for the challenge against Southampton.”

Return of Kalidou Koulibaly against Dortmund

“Really, really happy with Kalidou. First game for a while but he slotted in really well, him and Thiago had a nice relationship, good experience there.

“He responded to the atmosphere and occasion. It’s an indication of his professionalism, how he’s trained, supported his teammates. That’s looking positive for us in terms of how he’s acted. Now we’ll look to see how he is at the weekend and carry on his performance.”

Injury boosts and managing minutes

“We’ve got a few players returning from injury: Mateo (Kovacic), Wesley (Fofana), Denis Zakaria, Raheem Sterling. That’s the balance we have at the moment. We’ve got some guys that have played, but also making their minutes up.

“As a club and staff, we have to make sure we make the right calls and decisions because we’ve got a few options and we need to make sure we manage it correctly.”

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