Chelsea team news: Pato, Terry and Falcao remain sidelined; Zouma continues recovery

Clive Rose/Getty Images
Tom Dutton27 February 2016

Chelsea remain without captain John Terry for Saturday's Premier League fixture at Southampton because interim manager Guus Hiddink is reluctant to rush him back from a hamstring injury.

Branislav Ivanovic is therefore likely to continue deputising at central defence, with Baba Rahman at left-back.

Hiddink is also without Kurt Zouma, who will miss the remainder of the season because of an anterior cruciate ligament injury, while Alexandre Pato and Radamel Falcao are also out, respectively owing to a lack of match fitness and a groin injury.

"Pato has now to get his sharpness to be competitive with the youngsters we have, because we have three strikers available, plus Falcao who is injured," Hiddink said.

"Diego [Costa] is doing his job very well and I'm rather satisfied with Traore's performances in the games when he's come in, especially being a youngster with no big international name. They have to compete for the positions."

Provisional squad

Courtois, Begovic, Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Cahill, Rahman, Mikel, Matic, Fabregas, Oscar, Willian, Hazard, Pedro, Costa, Remy, Blackman, Amelia, Loftis-Cheek, Kenedy, Traore.

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