First meets second at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday lunchtime, as Premier League leaders Manchester City welcome title outsiders Chelsea to their headquarters.

Thomas Tuchel's side return to league action having just booked their place in the final of the EFL Cup, as Antonio Rudiger's header gave the Blues a 3-0 aggregate win over Tottenham Hotspur.

Chelsea find themselves 10 points adrift of their upcoming opponents in the standings, though, with four of their last five in the top flight ending in draws.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up all of Chelsea's latest injury and suspension news ahead of the contest.

Andreas Christensen

Chelsea's Andreas Christensen in action, October 20, 2021 © Reuters

Status: Out
Type of injury: Coronavirus
Possible return date: Unknown

Tuchel revealed in his pre-game press conference that Andreas Christensen had returned a positive coronavirus test, so the Danish defender will not be available for this top-of-the-table clash.

Ben Chilwell

Chelsea defender Ben Chilwell goes off with a knee injury on November 23, 2021 © Reuters

Status: Out
Type of injury: Knee
Possible return date: Unknown

Ben Chilwell has gone under the knife for his ACL injury, and Tuchel does not expect the left-back to play again this season.

Reece James

Chelsea defender Reece James pictured on November 23, 2021 © Reuters

Status: Out
Type of injury: Hamstring
Possible return date: Unknown

Reece James continues to recover from a hamstring injury sustained against Brighton & Hove Albion on December 29, and the right-back is set to remain sidelined for the trip to the Etihad.

Edouard Mendy

Status: Out
Type of injury: International duty
Possible return date: Unknown

Edouard Mendy - who has recently tested positive for coronavirus - will be unavailable to Chelsea while he represents Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Trevoh Chalobah

Status: Out
Type of injury: Hamstring
Possible return date: Unknown

Trevoh Chalobah tweaked his hamstring in the pulsating draw with Liverpool earlier this month, and the centre-back is not expected to make the cut here.