Guus Hiddink has admitted that Chelsea are short in terms of options up front and has made it clear that the club are considering a move for a striker this month.
With Radamel Falcao out with a thigh injury and Hiddink unable to put a time-frame on his return, the interim manager has only Diego Costa and the fit-again Loic Remy as established players to call upon.
Remy has been back in full training for two days after a calf problem, and he is expected to be in the squad for the visit of West Bromwich Albion.
Loan spell
Hiddink name-checked the 20-year-old
Bertrand Traore
, whom he brought on as a late substitute in Sunday’s FA Cup win over Scunthorpe United, as a possible option. But he said
Patrick Bamford
, who has returned from a difficult loan spell at Crystal Palace, had “to prove himself first of all with the under-21s”.
“We have to have good competition, good double occupation in every position. . . I don’t deny that it would be a concern if Costa or Remy were injured.”
Roman Abramovich, the club's owner, watched Hiddink's squad train yesterday.
“I have good contact here with the technical board and others,” Hiddink continued. “They are open to discuss all the options.”
Chelsea have been linked with a host of strikers, including Saido Berahino, but Hiddink was tight-lipped when the West Brom player’s name came up. “The window opens and the mouth shuts,” he said.
Falcao, on loan from Monaco, last appeared on October 31st against Liverpool.
Hiddink said Costa (knee), Oscar (toe) and Nemanja Matic (mild concussion) would be fit for the game but Eden Hazard is still struggling to recover from a groin strain and misses out again.
Hiddink has vowed to blood youngsters in Chelsea’s hopeful pursuit of a top-four finish in the Premier League
The Chelsea interim boss has every intention of fielding the likes of 19-year-old Ruben Loftus-Cheek as the holders bid to make up a huge 13-point gap to fourth-placed Tottenham.
The midfielder scored in last Sunday’s FA Cup defeat of Scunthorpe.
Fourth place
“So long as we have the possibility to go to fourth place we will go for that,” Hiddink said.
“It’s not that we are without chances to go there (fourth) and then we bring in youngsters, no.
Jonas Olsson and Victor Anichebe are major doubts for West Brom.
The duo are struggling with hamstring injuries which have kept them out of the the last two games.
Ben Foster is available after making his comeback in Saturday's 2-2 FA Cup draw with Bristol City although Boaz Myhill could return after deputising for the goalkeeper during his 10 months out with a knee injury.
Guardian Service
