Chelsea forward Joao Felix has pulled out of the squad to face Manchester City this afternoon due to a family bereavement.
Felix is set to fly home after being granted compassionate leave by the club.
He may have been in contention to feature against City at the Etihad but just hours ahead of the game, it emerged he is now no longer available for selection.
The 25-year-old rejoined the Blues last summer on a permanent deal, having previously spent a spell on loan at Stamford Bridge in 2023.
Felix has been restricted to just 20 appearances in all competitions this season and has been linked with a move away this month, with several clubs said to be keen.
Speaking yesterday, Blues head coach Enzo Maresca delved into the reasons behind Felix’s limited game time this season and labelled him as ‘fantastic’.
‘For sure, Joao is a Chelsea player,’ said Maresca.
‘The problem, unfortunately, for Joao and Christo [Nkunku], the manager plays most of the games with one attacking midfielder and that is Cole Palmer.
‘We have decided to play with an attacking midfielder in most of the games, so this is the reason why Joao and Christo struggle to get minutes – not for any different reasons because they are both fantastic players, fantastic guys who work well.
‘The reason why is only because most of the games I decide to play with one attacking midfielder in terms of balance. This is the reason why.’
Pushed on whether Felix could leave before the transfer window slammed shut, Maresca added: ‘I am not saying that, I am not saying that.
‘I am saying that I like both but the reason why they struggle is because most of the time I play with one attacking midfielder.’
Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile and Romeo Lavia will also be absent from Chelsea’s 20-man squad while late calls will be made on Levi Colwill and Enzo Fernandez.
