Chelsea duo Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso return to training before Norwich and Newcastle clashes

Chelsea have confirmed a double fitness boost as a congested fixture schedule continues with a trip to struggling Norwich, with Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso back in training.

Thomas Tuchel’s reigning European and world club champions travel to Carrow Road on Thursday evening before hosting Newcastle on Sunday in advance of their Champions League last-16 second-leg tie against Lille and an FA Cup quarter-final clash with Middlesbrough.

Chelsea managed to set aside the distraction of the club’s impending sale by Roman Abramovich to brush aside Burnley over the weekend, with Kai Havertz netting a brace in a 4-0 drubbing at Turf Moor.

Versatile Spanish wing-backs Azpilicueta and Alonso were both absent from Tuchel’s squad in Lancashire, with the captain suffering a knock during last week’s dramatic Carabao Cup Final defeat by Liverpool at Wembley.

Azpilicueta also missed the FA Cup thriller at Championship Luton, while compatriot Alonso has similarly sat out Chelsea’s last two matches after testing positive for Covid-19.

However, Chelsea revealed that the pair were back in training at Cobham on Monday as the Blues prepare to face a Norwich side who sit bottom of the Premier League and five points adrift of safety following a run of four successive losses.

Tuchel looks to have only one confirmed absentee for that visit to Norfolk, with just Ben Chilwell absent from training as he continues to recover from surgery on an anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained in November.

The England left-back will miss the remainder of the season.

Register now for one of the Evening Standard’s newsletters. From a daily news briefing to Homes & Property insights, plus lifestyle, going out, offers and more. For the best stories in