Thomas Tuchel confirms Chelsea duo are big doubts for Madrid game

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has confirmed that Cesar Azpilicueta and Romelu Lukaku are unlikely to face Real Madrid on Tuesday.

Azpilicueta recently missed the 6-0 Premier League rout of Southampton after testing positive for coronavirus.

Meanwhile, Lukaku was unavailable for the South Coast trip as he has been struggling with a painful injury.

Speaking after the Saints win, Tuchel acknowledged that the duo are big doubts for the midweek Madrid clash.

The Blues suffered a 3-1 defeat to Los Blancos in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.

They have a mountain to climb in the Spanish capital, and will go into the game with plenty of confidence.

After losing successive games, the Blues had the perfect response against the Saints with a stunning 6-0 triumph.

They had the better of the Saints, who were poor with their high pressing.

It will be a completely different challenge against the La Liga leaders. They will need an early goal in Madrid.