Chelsea handed major fitness boost for West Ham trip as key quartet return

Chelsea have received a quadruple fitness boost, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Enzo Fernandez, Malo Gusto and Romeo Lavia all returning to training.

The Blues were heavily depleted both in midfield and at full-back for Saturday’s trip to Bournemouth, which ended in a 1-0 victory for the visitors thanks to substitute Christopher Nkunku’s late goal, assisted by new signing Jadon Sancho.

Gusto picked up a thigh problem in the 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace just before the international break and was forced to pull out of the France Under-21 squad.

In his absence – and with captain Reece James still sidelined with a hamstring injury – manager Enzo Maresca picked Axel Disasi out of position at right-back at the Vitality Stadium but the Frenchman endured a difficult evening and was eventually taken off midway through the second half.

In midfield, meanwhile, both Dewsbury-Hall and Fernandez missed out against Bournemouth through illness, while Lavia has not featured since the 6-2 win at Wolves last month because of a hamstring problem.

Summer signing Renato Veiga was handed a first Premier League start against the Cherries in midfield, but Maresca will now have options at his disposal when his team go to West Ham for a London derby on Saturday lunchtime.