Chelsea battling to contain virus as players and staff members fall ill

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Evening Standard

·15. Januar 2026

Chelsea battling to contain virus as players and staff members fall ill

Blues being impacted by illness outbreak ahead of clash with west London rivals Brentford

Chelsea are battling to contain the further spread of a virus in camp ahead of their west London derby clash with Brentford this weekend.

Blues striker Liam Delap and winger Jamie Gittens both missed Wednesday night’s 3-2 home defeat by Arsenal in their Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg tie due to flu, Gittens having been struggling on Tuesday evening and Delap ruled out just four hours before kick-off at Stamford Bridge.

Both players were absent from training at Cobham on Thursday as they continue to recover at home, with a number of Chelsea staff members also now ill and the club holding a meeting to provide a reminder over good hygiene practices as they bid to prevent the virus from spreading any further.

“He's still at home at the moment recovering, as is Jamie Gittens,” Rosenior said when asked about Delap during a press conference held on Thursday afternoon ahead of Brentford’s visit in the Premier League.

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“The club doctors are looking to contain a virus because some of our staff have gone down as well.

“We had a meeting today, telling everyone to wash their hands and everything which is really important and hopefully we can contain it. We have a busy period, so we need everyone ready to go, fit and healthy.”

There was better news for Chelsea on Thursday with Cole Palmer and captain Reece James both returning to training - a day earlier than expected, in Palmer’s case - in the aftermath of respective thigh and hip issues that saw them unavailable for new boss Rosenior’s first two games in charge against Charlton and Arsenal.

Malo Gusto should also be back against Brentford on Saturday, while Moises Caicedo will return in midfield following his latest suspension.

Romeo Lavia has begun working away from the main group at Cobham as he bids to return from a quad injury that has kept him on the sidelines since early November, though Rosenior said there was still no timeframe for his latest comeback.

Dario Essugo is now fit again following his thigh surgery and was an unused substitute against both Charlton and Arsenal, though Levi Colwill remains a long-term absentee as he continues to recover from an anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered during pre-season. Mykhailo Mudryk is still unavailable for Chelsea.