6am Chelsea news LIVE: Abraham return date, Kante ‘set to stay’, Loftus-Cheek UPDATE, Sancho ‘monitored’ ahead of swoop – The Sun

CHELSEA are preparing for the visit of Liverpool as they continue their FA Cup adventure on home soil.

Frank Lampard's side battled back to snatch a draw late in the 2-2 stalemate against Bournemouth on Saturday, while in a boost it appears midfield dynamo N'Golo Kante is set to stay in the summer.

Follow all the latest updates from the Bridge below…

• MORNING BLUES FANS

  Chelsea are preparing to welcome Liverpool to Stamford Bridge tomorrow night in the FA Cup.

  Frank Lampard insists he will not rotate his side too much for the visit of Jurgen Klopp’s champions-elect.

  That’s despite only managing a 2-2 draw against Bournemouth at the weekend.

  Chelsea needed two goals from Marcos Alonso to secure a point against the Cherries on the south coast.

  And Lampard will be hoping the goals come from other areas when Liverpool come to the capital.

  But finishing in the top four remains Chelsea’s priority.

  They are three points ahead of Man Utd, who drew 1-1 with Everton on Sunday.

  And Leicester’s defeat to Norwich means Brendan Rodgers’ side are just five points ahead in third.

  Meanwhile, Chelsea have been dealt a huge blow in their pursuit of Dries Mertens.

  Lampard was desperate to bring the Napoli striker to London in January.

  But Mertens opted to stay put, leading to reports that he would instead join Chelsea at the end of the season on a free transfer.

  However, reports in Italy claim Mertens is close to signing a new Napoli contract.

  And that would leave Chelsea empty-handed.

• LIKE IT OR LAMP IT

  Frank Lampard claims he will not rotate his Chelsea side for Tuesday’s FA Cup clash with Liverpool.

  When asked if he would rotate or cement this team to get the better of Jurgen Klopp’s table-toppers the young gaffer insisted: “Cement and go for victory.

  “It’s Liverpool. Our fans want us to overturn the best team in the land.

  “It doesn’t mean I don’t change a couple of people, bring in fresh legs or a couple of different options but I won’t pick a team casually just to be giving minutes.

  “I will be treating it with the care I would give a Premier League game.”

• TAMMY RETURN UNCLEAR

  Chelsea boss Frank Lampard has revealed that he is unsure of when England striker Tammy Abaraham will return.

  The attacker suffered an injury to his ankle which has led to him meeting a specialist in the bid to return to action before the end of the season.

  Abraham's injury came against Arsenal in late January.

  Lampard still had “no update” on the injured star after the 2-2 draw against Bournemouth.

  The injury is also a cause for concern for England boss Gareth Southgate, as his attacking options are becoming increasingly limited ahead of Euro 2020.

  Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford AND Tammy Abraham are all touch-and-go for returns before the end of the season.

  The lack of clarity leaves Chelsea without their top goalscorer.

• CHELSEA'S CHARM OFFENSIVE

  Chelsea could reportedly move for long-time target Alex Telles.

  The Brazilian left-back has been on Chelsea's radar for years and was heavily linked with a move back in 2017.

  With his contract expiring in 2021, the 27-year-old may be tempted for a new challenge.

  If Porto cannot get Telles to sign a contract, the Brazilian may well could leave this summer, rather than for free in 2021.

  The left-back could be seen as a cheaper alternative for target Ben Chilwell, who has been linked with a move to the West London club.

• CHELSEA WANT GUIRASSY

  Chelsea have entered the race for Ligue One ace Serhou Guirassy.

  The 23-year-old plays for French outfit Amiens, where he has scored eight times in 22 appearances.

  Despite the promising goalscoring return, Amiens sit second bottom in the table, with the possiblity of dropping into the second tier of French football.

  Chelsea will face a fight with fellow Premier League clubs West Ham, Tottenham and Brighton, who have all also registered an interest in the forward.

  Chelsea will be looking at the forward in the next upcoming fixture against high-flyers Marseille.

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