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Brazil defender Gabriel Magalhaes has formed a formidable centre-back pairing with France's William Saliba at the heart of the Arsenal defence.

The 27-year-old has made 42 appearances for the Gunners this season, playing in 28 of their 30 games in the Premier League so far.

Arsenal have the best defensive record in the Premier League, conceding just 25 goals, two less than Liverpool having played a game more than the league leaders.

Gabriel has also proved to be a potent weapon at the other end of the pitch on set-pieces, weighing in with five goals - three in the league.

At 6ft 3ins, he provides defensive solidity and an aerial threat, and would be sorely missed as the Gunners aim to put pressure on Liverpool in the title race and prepare to face Real Madrid over two legs in the Champions League quarter-finals.

When Brazil centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes went down clutching the back of his right leg in the first half of Tuesday's 2-1 win over Fulham, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta must have been fearing the worst.

The Gunners have already spent significant parts of the season without three key players - Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz - due to hamstring injuries.

Havertz is expected to miss the remainder of the campaign after sustaining an injury during the team's Dubai training camp in February.

While Martinelli was out for a month after picking up an injury in the first leg of the Gunners' Carabao Cup semi-final defeat to Newcastle at the start of February.

Saka, meanwhile, was missing for three months after undergoing surgery on a hamstring problem suffered in Arsenal's Premier League win over Crystal Palace on 21 December.

He scored on his return as a second-half substitute against Fulham.

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Arsenal

We'll have more on Chelsea v Spurs later, when Ange Postecoglou addresses the media this afternoon.

Now, let's get more reaction to Tuesday night's games, focusing first on Arsenal - and what was a rather mixed evening for the Gunners, as they beat Fulham but suffered what could be a major injury blow...

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Chelsea also have trouble brewing off the pitch.

Uefa will assess the Blues' sale of its women's team to parent company BlueCo at the end of the season.

On Monday, Chelsea reported a pre-tax profit of £128.4m for the year ending June 2024 - their first positive financial results under the ownership of Todd Boehly's Clearlake Capital.

That was largely down to the "repositioning" of their highly successful women's team as a separate business from the men's team, and followed a similar move in their previous financial results - when the club sold two hotels to a sister company to keep them compliant with the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules (PSR).

The Blues have already been cleared of any PSR breaches in January, along with the other 19 top-flight clubs.

However, European football's governing body Uefa has more stringent Financial Fair Play rules which would discount APTs of all its members, including Chelsea's sale of its women's team and two hotels, which were sold for £76.6m during the 2022-23 season.

Chelsea

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Though they are currently fourth, Enzo Maresca face an uphill task to return Champions League football to Stamford Bridge. with Manchester City only one point behind and Newcastle and Brighton two adrift.

With nine games left, the Blues also have a tough run-in. They are still to face leaders Liverpool, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest as well as Spurs and Manchester United.

According to Opta, Maresca's side are most likely to finish sixth (23.2%) - outside the Champions League spots.

They are 22.3% likely to finish in fifth and secure top-tier European football next season, as England are set to have an additional spot in the competition.

They only finished in the top five 47.4% of the time during the supercomputer simulations.

Opta's predictions for Chelsea:

• 2nd - 0.1%
• 3rd - 9.1%
• 4th - 15.9%
• 5th - 22.3%
• 6th - 23.2%
• 7th - 15%
• 8th - 8.4%
• 9th - 4%
• 10th 1.5%

Chelsea

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Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said in his news conference today that centre-midfielder Romeo Lavia was a doubt for Thursday's Premier League game at home to Tottenham with a "small" injury problem.

Lavia has had a torrid time with injuries since signing for Chelsea from Southampton in a £58m deal in August 2023.

In total, the 21-year-old Belgian international missed 43 games because of injury in his first season at Stamford Bridge and another 19 this campaign, according to figures on Transfermarkt.

The majority of those injuries have been hamstring-related.

Here is a full list of his injuries and the days Lavia has missed during his two seasons at Chelsea:

• 8-14 Sep 2023 - muscle tear (7 days out)
• 17 Sep-12 Nov 2023 - ankle injury (57 days out)
• 13 Nov-18 Dec 2023 - fitness (36 days out)
• 28 Dec 2023-30 Jun 2024 - hamstring injury (186 days out)
• 23 Aug-15 Sep 2024 - hamstring injury - (24 days out)
• 9 Dec 2024-7 Jan 2025 - hamstring injury (30 days out)
• 16 Jan 2025-7 Mar 2025 - hamstring injury (51 days out)

Chelsea

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BBC Sport reported last week that Chelsea will have to pay Manchester United a £5m fee if they decide not to sign Jadon Sancho on a permanent basis this summer.

The 24-year-old joined Chelsea on a season-long loan in August in a deal that included an obligation to buy for between £20m and £25m, providing the London club finish at least 14th in the Premier League this season.

Chelsea are fourth, with nine games of the season remaining.

However, as initially reported in the Athletic, it has now been confirmed by sources with knowledge of the deal that a clause exists that would allow Chelsea to send Sancho back to Old Trafford providing they pay United £5m in compensation.

Chelsea have previously stressed they are not thinking of taking that step but doubt persists over whether Sancho will remain at Stamford Bridge beyond the end of the season.

Chelsea

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Enzo Maresca's assertion that Jadon Sancho "can do better" is perhaps putting it mildly.

The Manchester United midfielder's stats since joining Chelsea on loan at the start of this season have been pretty dire.

He has only scored twice in his 29 games for the Blues and managed to set up just three goals since managing three assists in his first three games for the club.

Only winger Mykhailo Mudryk, who has been provisionally banned since mid-December for allegedly taking a banned substance, has worse figures for goals and assists than Sancho.

Forward Joao Felix continues to have superior output for Chelsea despite joining AC Milan on loan in the January transfer window.

Another stat being regularly used around the discussion of Sancho is that, of his 19 previous crosses in the Premier League, none have reached a team-mate.

Chelsea

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Chelsea's excellent start to the season had a lot to do with the form of Palmer, Madueke and Jackson.

So it will be a huge boost Enzo Maresca to see the trio back in training as Chelsea look to secure a place in the Champions League with a strong finish to the season.

Palmer, their top scorer with 14 goals, missed the 1-0 defeat to Arsenal before the international break with a hamstring issue while striker Jackson has not played since 3 February.

Madueke, also missing with a hamstring injury since 14 February, has seven goals and three assists.

Chelsea

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Enzo Maresca highlighted the importance of attacking trio Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke and central striker Nicolas Jackson, who are all available for selection again after missing recent matches because of injury.

Chelsea remain well placed in their quest to bring Champions League football back to Stamford Bridge next season, sitting fourth in the Premier League table as they prepare for a run of five league games in April.

But while they had continued to pick up points before the international break, the goals had dried up somewhat.

Apart from a 4-0 win over bottom club Southampton, Chelsea have failed to score more than one goal in a game over their past five Premier League matches.

Chelsea's last five matches in the Premier League:

• 14 Feb: Brighton 3-0 Chelsea
• 22 Feb: Aston Villa 2-1 Chelsea
• 25 Feb: Chelsea 4-0 Southampton
• 09 Mar: Chelsea 1-0 Leicester
• 16 Mar: Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea

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The race for Champions League football is heading for an exciting finish, with only five points separating fourth-placed Chelsea and Bournemouth, in 10th.

According to the Opta supercomputer, leaders Liverpool and Arsenal are, unsurprisingly, 100% guaranteed a place in the top four while third-placed Nottingham Forest are projected to finish in the top five 93.3% of the time.

But it's going to be scrap for the rest of the pack with fourth-placed Chelsea having their work cut out to secure top-tier European football next season.

The Blues, despite sitting fourth, are only given a 47.4% chance of a top-five finish by the supercomputer with fifth-placed Manchester City and Newcastle, in sixth, tipped more probable to be in the Champions League next season.

England is set to have five clubs in the 2025-26 Champions League, based on Uefa's coefficient ranking.

Chances of finishing in top five:

• 1. Liverpool - 100%
• 2. Arsenal - 100%
• 3. Nottingham Forest - 93.3%
• 4. Chelsea - 47.4%
• 5. Manchester City - 76.6%
• 6. Newcastle - 49%
• 7. Brighton - 19.6%
• 8. Fulham - 1.4%
• 9. Aston Villa - 7.6%
• 10. Bournemouth - 4.8%
• 11. Brentford - 0.2%
• 12. Crystal Palace - 0.2%

Chelsea

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca on facing Tottenham: "It's a huge game. We know how important it is for the fans and the club. It is also important for us to try and finish where we are now.

"Tottenham have a lot of good players, but no matter who is playing, it's going to be a derby and it's a Premier League and you can struggle against any team.

"We want to be direct and quick when they press higher. We cannot be direct and quick if they sit back. In our last three home games, they have all been games with every player behind the ball. When you have players who love to run in behind, it is easier.

"If we win, you can build momentum for the end. They are all important games and are all three points. We need to win as many games as we can and we will see where we finish."

On Spurs' struggles this season: "For part of the season, they had many injuries. It's not easy to deal with that. They had important players out. I'm not able to give you more reason because you need more details, but injuries have been an important part [of their struggles]."

Chelsea

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca on Romeo Lavia: "He was doing better in terms of progress but unfortunately one or two days ago he had a small problem, so we will see in the next hours."

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Chelsea

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca on Reece James: "We still need to manage Reece. The reason why is because you know his history probably better than me. He is a player you need to be careful with him in this moment.

"We want him fit until the end so the idea is to manage him until the end and then we will see in the future if we can go every day. But in this moment, we need him until the end, so we are managing him.

"Reece in another team is very, very young. In our team, probably a bit old but he is still very, very young. He's 25 or 26, it's a top age."

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Chelsea

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca on cancelling his players' day-off after losing 3-0 to the club's under-21s: "It's nothing. Since I joined the club, I always decide high standards.

"Not many players here and a day off after, sometimes it's normal. I didn't allow this so we decided to train."

Chelsea

More from Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca on Jadon Sancho: "You probably have more news than me in terms of Jadon. For me, his situation does not change, it is exactly the same.

"For sure, he can do better in terms of numbers, no doubt, but it is not only about Jadon. We have more players in the same situation.

"I do not need to give Jadon a message, I speak with him every day. I had a conversation with him yesterday. He needs to continue to give his best until the end. That is what we want from Jadon."

Chelsea

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca on asked whether he would like to make Jadon Sancho's loan move from Manchester United permanent: "All the players that are with us, I love all of them. But in this moment, it's the moment to finish well and not think about next season.

"What happens in the summer, we will see. I am happy with all the players here."

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Chelsea

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca speaking ahead of facing Tottenham: "We've said many times, it is a game for players and when they are not there, you struggle.

"This has happened with us this season, where we had five or six unbelievable months and then had six or seven injuries in a row and we lost something. Now it is good to finish with all of them.

"Since day one, [the players] are giving everything. The attitude has always been top, every day, and even in the last week because they know how important it is from now on. Every game becomes important. We have nine games to go and hopefully we can finish well."

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