Chelsea have received a boost ahead of their first-leg Carabao Cup semifinal match against Tottenham, as Romelu Lukaku is set to rejoin the squad.
The striker was left out of the Blues' 2-2 league draw with Liverpool over the weekend after giving an interview with Italian media in which he complained about a perceived lack of playing time, but Lukaku looks to have made amends in time for Wednesday's match.
"We are happy we took the time that it needed to look on it and to talk calmly about it. This is what we did," said Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel.
"Romelu apologised and is back in the squad for today's training which is later. For me, the most important thing was to clearly understand and believe that it was not intentional.
"He did not do this intentionally to create this kind of noise in front of a big game."
Chelsea will face a Tottenham side that's undefeated in their last five matches, so a proven weapon like Lukaku will come in handy for Tuchel.
"He's an emotional guy," the manager said.
"He does not hold back with his opinion, so also credit to that and sometimes he carries his heart on his tongue. We should not just blame him and just point to the negative side of it.
"We have to adapt now to the situation and it created some noise that you normally absolutely don't want, and this is clearly understood, but there are zero doubts about his commitment to the team and to the club."
Here's everything you need to know about the match, including the kick-off time and how to watch in Canada:
What time is Chelsea vs. Tottenham today? Date, start time
- Date: Wednesday, Jan. 5
- Kick-off: 2:45 p.m. ET
The match is scheduled for a 2:45 p.m. ET kick-off at Stamford Bridge.
How to watch Chelsea vs. Tottenham in Canada: TV and live stream
Chelsea vs. Liverpool streams exclusively live and on-demand on DAZN in Canada.
DAZN, the first global pure sport live and on-demand streaming service, has the streaming rights for the Carabao Cup in Canada for the 2021-22 season.
DAZN is available on web browsers at DAZN.com and also has apps available for many TV and streaming devices, including:
- iPhone, iPad
- Android phones and tablets
- Amazon Fire Tablet
- Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick
- Apple TV
- Android TV
- Google Chromecast
- LG, Sony and Samsung smart TVs
- Playstation 4 and Pro, Playstation 5
- Xbox One, One S and One X, Xbox Series X | S
A subscription to DAZN is $20 CAD a month or $150 CAD a year.