Chelsea midfielder Christian Pulisic is ready to return from a long-term injury for Tuesday's Champions League group game against Malmo but Mason Mount will miss out after failing to recover from illness, manager Thomas Tuchel said on Monday.
U.S. international Pulisic, 23, has not played since the Premier League opener in August due to an ankle problem, while Mount travelled with the squad for the 3-0 win at Newcastle United on Saturday but had to withdraw on the eve of the game.
"Mason doesn't feel better, it's not COVID. He's just ill ... the good news is Christian Pulisic is back and back in the squad for tomorrow," said Tuchel.
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Strikers Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner plus midfielder Mateo Kovacic were already ruled out through injury.
Chelsea thrashed Malmo 4-0 at Stamford Bridge last month and Tuchel said they were in a "good place" following recent results that have seen them unbeaten in six games in all competitions since losing to group leaders Juventus in September.
"We know what it takes to have these kind of results, the effort we put into it. At the same time, we set the standards that we set in every match so tomorrow we start again from scratch," said the German.
"It's the fifth or sixth game in a row where we are considered favourites and I like how my team consider these matches. We give a lot of effort and intensity."
Tuchel praised the goalscoring form of wing backs Reece James and Ben Chilwell, who have netted a combined seven times this season. James is the club's joint top-scorer this season, tied with Lukaku on four goals.
"You need a consistent goalscoring threat from your strikers because they do what they do. The statistic would look different if you count the wing-backs as midfielders," he said.
"I would not call them defenders. They have to defend but are more free to attack."
Chelsea trail Juve by three points in Group H while Malmo are bottom without a point after three games.
(Reporting by Dhruv Munjal in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)
