Chelsea’s defender to return vs Southampton

Following their weekend win vs Leicester City, Chelsea will now return to action when they face Southampton on Tuesday night.

Ahead of the game, Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has revealed the Blues defender Kalidou Koulibaly will return to the squad for the match.

Recall that the former Napoli defender was sent off late on in the defeat at Elland Road for two bookable offences.

This saw him unavailable during the Blues’ weekend win over Leicester City but Tuchel has confirmed he would be available tonight.

‘He will play at Southampton, he will be on the pitch,’ said Tuchel in a pre-match statement. ‘He’s a massive player for us.

‘I already see him emerging as a leader. He’s a fantastic player, a fantastic personality, and I’m so happy with what I see, how he behaves, how he trains.

‘I see a lot of quality and everything that is needed to be a leading figure at Chelsea.’