Chelsea host Southampton in Tuesday's Premier League fixture of the 2016/17 season at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues will be eyeing a win to extend their lead over nearest title-rivals Tottenham Hotspur, who are four points adrift the league leaders with 71 points. While they had a 10-point lead over Mauricio Pochettino's side before the start of April, their advantage has been cut down due to losses to Crystal Palace and Manchester United.
However, the hosts will be high on confidence after clinching an FA Cup final berth by beating the Spurs 4-2 at the Bridge on Saturday. On the other hand, the Saints are heading into the clash on the back of a 3-0 thrashing at home against Manchester City on Saturday.
Chelsea have had their fair share of trouble against Southampton in home games in the recent past, managing only three wins in their last games. Last season's meeting in London ended in a 3-0 defeat. However, Antonio Conte's men, with only six more games remaining the league season, will be motivated to produce a positive result against the Saints later today.
Their early-season meeting ended in Chelsea's favour with Eden Hazard and Diego Costa scoring in October at the St Mary's Stadium. The two men will be key to the team's chances against Saints, who have won three of their last four away games, today.
Gary Cahill's services also will be available for Conte as the skipper has recovered well from illness. On the other hand, Saints miss quite a few of their key stars, including Chelsea target Virgil van Dijk despite having a 10-day rest inbetween games.
Team News
Chelsea
Possible XI: Courtois; Azpilicueta, Luiz, Cahill; Moses, Fabregas, Kante, Alonso; Pedro, Costa, Hazard
Southampton
Possible XI: Forster; Soares, Stephens, Yoshida, Bertrand; Ward-Prowse, Romeu, Davis; Redmond, Gabbiadini, Boufal
