Hazard still sidelined and Brazil duo will be assessed

Chelsea will be without Eden Hazard as well as the suspended Diego Costa for their trip to Aston Villa, while Oscar and Willian will be assessed following international duty.

Hazard is still struggling with the thigh injury that has kept him out since the Champions League defeat by Paris St-Germain, while Costa – although fit again – is serving a ban.

Asked about Hazard’s fitness, boss Guus Hiddink said: “I will talk to the medical staff again, but he’s not available for now.

“He’s on the pitch, but with the physio – he’s outside the group.

“Costa trained very well the past week, he was very ambitious in training. He’s not injured any more.”

Willian and Oscar only returned to London on Friday, having been in Paraguay this week for Brazil’s World Cup qualifier.

Willian played the full 90 minutes of the game, which kicked off in the early hours of Wednesday UK time, while Oscar was an unused substitute.

And Hiddink admitted both could still be feeling the effects of their flight by Saturday lunchtime.

He said: “We have all the players coming in in the past days. Today came in Oscar, [Bertrand] Traore and Willian, even one day before the game.

“So we’ll see how they are in their fitness and their freshness but after a long journey, we’ll see if they are available. We’ll know that tomorrow morning.”