Maurizio Sarri said Chelsea's lengthening injury list is causing concern ahead of his side's crowded January schedule. Striker Olivier Giroud became the Blues' latest casualty, hobbling out of the 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Sunday and leaving Selhurst Park on crutches. Chelsea had gone into the game without five players, including Cesc Fabregas, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Danny Drinkwater who were all injured in training the previous day.

Callum Hudson-Odoi and Pedro, the only one of the six to have started more than half of Chelsea's league games this season, were already sidelined. With Wednesday's meeting with Southampton the start of a run of seven games in January, Sarri was left hoping Giroud's injury was not as bad as first feared. "The problem is his ankle," said the Chelsea head coach when asked about the France international's injury.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2018