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Head-Ake for Rafa Benitez
CHELSEA head to Moscow today with major problems at left-back.
Ashley Cole is definitely out of tomorrow’s Europa League quarter-final second leg against Rubin Kazan with a hamstring injury and his deputy Ryan Bertrand is struggling with a virus.
Ryan will train on Wednesday and then we will decide
Teenage rookie Nathan Ake, 18, has been put on standby in case Bertrand does not recover.
Chelsea boss Rafa Benitez was forced to rest the influential Juan Mata against Southampton last week when he was suffering from a virus but it will be a bigger call to do the same with Bertrand, even with a 3-1 lead from the first leg to take to the Luzhniki Stadium.
Ake has started only one game for Chelsea and that was in midfield against Middlesbrough in the FA Cup.
Benitez said: “I talked with the doctor after training and she said Ryan would train on Wednesday and then we will decide.”