Perhaps a shame that as the season winds down, this fixture has little riding on it with Chelsea already having won the Premier League title with time to spare.
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If we’re being honest, it’s been a particularly ordinary title winning campaign from the Blues – and to mention it quest for survival for the Baggies – with little to get the blood pumping save a few extraordinary goals and momentary lapses of concentration that threatened something in the way of competition.
Indeed, the only thing of note riding on this game at the Hawthorns tonight is whether Cesc Fabregas might do enough in this or Chelsea’s last fixture of the season to beat Thierry Henry’s Premier League assist record with the Spaniard needing just three more to best his former Arsenal team-mate for an entire campaign.
The imminent return for Diego Costa – after six weeks nursing his inflexible hamstrings – could be a potential bosst in Fabregas’ endeavour though it remains to be seen whether the striker will start given his lack of game time.
That end of season nostalgic feel will likely come into full effect with Mourinho perhaps involving a number of youth stars to give them a modicum of game time.
However, Ramires, Kurt Zouma and Oscar will all miss this and the last game of the season through injury.
For Tony Pulis’ side, their final two games pit them against two of the league’s leading sidess away from home, in Chelse and Arsenal, which will perhaps make these fixtures more enjoyable given the Baggies do not need the points to survive and are hardly expected to win.
The only missing face will likely be Ben Foster who has been out for a number of games and weeks. Meanwhile, James Morrison may now be fully recovered from a back problem and could be in contention for a start after sitting on the bench last week.
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