England manager Thomas Tuchel has announced his squad for the World Cup qualifier against Andorra (7 June) and friendly against Senegal (10 June).
Manchester City's Phil Foden, Newcastle's Tino Livramento and West Ham's Jarrod Bowen all miss out, but Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White and Chelsea duo Noni Madueke and Trevoh Chalobah have been selected.
Nat Hayward
BBC Sport journalist
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has been speaking to the media before Sunday's final Premier League game against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground (16:00 BST).
The Blues require a win to guarantee a place in next season's Champions League.
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Maresca confirmed Christopher Nkunku and Marc Guiu will both be available and are options to play as striker in the absence of the suspended Nicolas Jackson.
He provided an update on Reece James, who played 90 minutes against Manchester United last week: "He is OK. He has his own programme. We said already that we try to protect him, so we are managing him."
On needing a win to secure Champions League qualification: "We are quite lucky. If we win, we do our job, we don't need to pay attention to other results. If we are not winning, we have to pay attention. We have the privilege that it depends on us. [The players] know - they are aware that it's an important game. The most important one."
How is the team coping with the pressure? "When you Chelsea you feel the pressure from day one. You don't need this game to feel pressure. It's a club where you need to win games. We won many games this season - but we probably need one more, the most important one."
Maresca played down recent reports Real Madrid are interested in a move for Enzo Fernandez: "Enzo is very important for us. He is one of our captains, he is one of the leaders. This season has been very good and he can be even better next season, starting from the first day. Nothing to say about speculation. He is focused on us. Yes [he is staying]."
He expressed his frustration at the scheduling, with the Blues playing the Conference League final in Poland on Wednesday: "No-one cares about player welfare. If they are tired, they won't play. We will manage that. It's not normal the amount of games they play. It's not normal or correct. [People say] 'they earn lots of money'. It's about health and protecting players."
He hinted he may rotate before the final: "Now the focus is on Sunday's game. The next one is the most important one and then after that we can focus on Wednesday's game. I said this the other day, we don't have enough time to recover the energy so, for sure, we need to rotate and change things. We need to make some changes."
Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news
Listen to live commentary of Nottingham Forest v Chelsea on BBC Radio 5 Live from 16:00 on Sunday
Ipswich Town's 22-year-old striker Liam Delap has held talks with both Chelsea and Manchester United over a potential summer move. (Fabrizio Romano via CaughtOffside), external
The final day of the 2024-25 Premier League is edging closer, which means we will soon know the answer to who will make up the remaining Champions League spots.
Five teams are in contention for the final three positions and earlier on Thursday, we asked you to put in order where you thought those clubs would finish.
The results showed Chelsea and Nottingham Forest - who face each other at the City Ground - are who you believe will be the sides to miss out.
However it pans out, it is set to be an afternoon of high tension.
Will Faulks
Fan writer
Chelsea fans are in a slightly strange position when it comes to Champions League qualification. They have been used to competing at the sharp end of the competition, and have won it within the last few years. Scrambling for the "top four trophy" was something they laughed at Arsenal and Spurs fans for; while they were more focused on Premier League titles races.
Given that, and given the team were one result from the top of the table at the turn of the year, it's hard to feel too excited about just qualifying for the competition. It's been a rather undignified few months of stumbling rather than steaming towards the finish line.
On the other hand, the tension of the race has built steadily, and it would be hard not to be drawn into the drama of it. Stamford Bridge was rocking for the nervy win over Manchester United last Friday, and going to Nottingham Forest on the last day of the season needing to win is a thrilling climax to it all. It certainly beats the months of dead rubbers they've closed out the last couple of seasons with.
The best message for the players (and indeed for manager Enzo Maresca) is simply to try and play free. It won't be easy in a high pressure environment against a team who will give everything, but Chelsea just have to rely on their superior quality to get the job done. If they get tense and defensive, it will only play into the opposition's hands.
Don't try to strangle the life out of the game. Go and threaten early and often, play direct, make Forest feel vulnerable at the back, and try to prevent the home crowd building up a head of steam.
Find more from Will Faulks at Chelsea News, external
Image source, Getty ImagesEach team in the race for the top five will have to keep an eye on other results, but deep down, you just want to be able to focus on your own business.
You want to be able to win your game out on the pitch, but the nature of the matches are really different. You have the head-to-head between Nottingham Forest and Chelsea. Then you have the likes of Manchester City playing away, Aston Villa playing away, you have got Newcastle playing at home against Everton, and when you are at home you are always going to be tough to play. So it is going to be a really, really nervous phase for all those teams involved.
How do I see it playing out? I am not sure I could tell you right now which way it is going to go. It just comes down to moments, and that is really cliche but a one-off game is almost like a final. As it stands, to go into the weekend knowing that you have a real chance, the fans of all the teams will be nervous, but you are one win away from being there.
As a player on the pitch, you absolutely get a sense of what is going on elsewhere, especially if you are at home.
You know what is happening, but then how does that affect your game? You could be losing, you could be up against it at one point, but then other teams start losing or drawing and you are back in the qualifying spots. How do you manage the next moments? How do you manage the last 10 to 15 minutes of the game when a result is one way or the other? Teams can score multiple goals in the blink of an eye, and desperation is one of the real causes for that. All of a sudden, when the kitchen sink is being thrown at people, anything is possible.
As a player, it can be really exciting. You want things to be going your way, but it is very hard to only focus on your game when other things matter at the same time. There is a double level of anxiety because you can control one thing but you cannot control the other, so you can't ever be comfortable.
From the outside, it is an exciting situation, but from the inside, you just hope that you are winning your game of football so you can just take all that out of it.
The 'as it stands' type days, they are some of the best days in football.
Nedum Onuoha was speaking to BBC Sport's Nicola Pearson
The race for the three remaining Champions League qualification spots in the Premier League is going right down to the wire.
With one round of fixtures remaining, just three points separate Manchester City in third and Nottingham Forest in seventh.
With five teams vying for three positions, it leaves some clubs with their fate in their own hands, while others will be relying on favours to secure their place.
Newcastle United and Chelsea know that wins will guarantee them spots in Europe's elite competition in 2025-26.
And, with a two points and a 17-goal cushion, just a point but would all but guarantee City a place.
Nottingham Forest, who have spent much of the season occupying one of those top five spots, will need to beat Chelsea and hope for a slip up from teams above them, while Aston Villa will also be hoping for a bit of help from elsewhere.
It is set to be an anxious Sunday for those watching in the stadium and elsewhere.
But where do you think all five teams will finish?
Chelsea are determined to hold on to Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez, despite the 24-year-old being on Real Madrid's shortlist of possible targets this summer. (Guardian, external)
Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column
Will Faulks
Fan writer
We asked our Chelsea fan contributor for their four candidates for player of the season and you can now select your top one.
Cole Palmer
Palmer started this season in the same incredible form that he finished last season, and even though it tailed off precipitously in the new year, he is a worthy mention on the basis of those thrilling first few months alone.
Enzo Fernandez
As Palmer faded, Fernandez stepped up. His form in 2025 has got better and better, and he has started delivering the goals and assists the team need from him. His status as a leader has been cemented by that increased impact, as has his connection with the fans.
Marc Cucurella
Very solid all season, thriving in a role that is pretty much built for him in Enzo Maresca's system. Chipped in with some crucial goals when the team's form was at a low ebb in the spring, and showed a consistency of performance that was a major improvement on previous years.
Moises Caicedo
He is the only player in the squad who has been truly excellent for the entire campaign, and he has cemented himself as one of the league's top midfielders.
Pick your 2024-25 Chelsea player of the season from our shortlist here
Find more from Will Faulks at Chelsea News, external
Manchester United lead the race to sign 22-year-old Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap, but defeat in the Europa League final and consequential inability to offer him European football next season would hand Chelsea the advantage. (ESPN), external
Chelsea are understood to have opened talks with Ajax over a potential transfer for 19-year-old Netherlands defender Jorrel Hato, who is also a target for Liverpool and Arsenal. (Caughtoffside), external
Want more transfer news? Read Wednesday's full gossip column
Will Faulks
Fan writer
Image source, Getty ImagesSo, it has come down to this.
After a season of back and forth, during which Chelsea have been both in a title race and in relegation form, one game will decide whether the campaign was a success.
Manager Enzo Maresca might dispute that, and perhaps the club's owners and sporting directors would too. But there is no denying that after three years in charge, and the colossal sums of money spent on transfer fees in that time, finishing lower than fifth in the league could not be seen as anything other than a failure for Chelsea.
It is an exciting way to end an unpredictable season. In recent years, most of the Blues' campaigns have petered out in February or soon after. This year, the action continues right up to the final moment.
And it is not going to be easy. Nottingham Forest's astonishing form has faltered, but with everything on the line and a home crowd who have waited decades for a game of this magnitude, the pressure on Chelsea's players is going to be huge.
This group of players faltered in similar conditions at St James' Park a couple of weeks ago. Yes, it was Nicolas Jackson's red card in that game which really killed them, but the problems were there from the first minute.
Maresca's team went out looking miles off the levels of confidence and intensity they needed to get a result there, red card or not.
Chelsea fans will be hoping that the coach has changed something since then. Their team has the talent to win this game, but the question mark is over whether they have the mindset.
As much as anything tactical, this week on the training pitch will be spent trying to prepare the group mentally for the immense pressure of a game with so much riding on it.
Find more from Will Faulks at Chelsea News, external
Karan Vinod
BBC Sport Journalist
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has been speaking to the media before next week's Europa Conference League game against Real Betis (kick-off 20:00 BST).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Maresca confirmed that Marc Guiu and Christopher Nkunku have started to take part in group training but are still not fully fit.
On the starting goalkeeper for the final: "Filip (Jorgensen) is going to play the final because he played all the competition. And it is unfair now that you are in the final, and he's not playing the final. So, for the Betis game, it will be Filip plus 10 players. I don't know which 10 they are but for sure, Filip is going to play because he deserves to play the final."
Maresca reiterated that the "focus will be on Nottingham" as he hasn't seen the players since the win against Manchester United and will be focused on the final only after the Forest game.
On the scheduling of fixtures leading up to the final: "I am not happy, 100%. You cannot allow a team 48 hours more than the other team to play in a European competition final."
Maresca also said that it is "important to win a European Cup for Chelsea", highlighting the importance for the club and the fans at this moment in time as it confirms that they are going in the "right direction."
More on establishing a winning mentality: "Very important to build a winner's mentality and you cannot win the Champions League or the Europa League if you are in the Conference League. When you are in that competition, you have to be focused to win that competition."
Maresca is looking forward to a "special" clash against Betis manager Manuel Pellegrini and labelled him as his "professional dad" as the Chelsea manager turns to him for advice. He also stated that he spoke to Pellegrini yesterday and learnt how to "manage players" and everything that comes with the job over the years.
On facing Isco after having played with him: "He is a top player, his career speaks for itself after many years with Real Madrid. We played together when Isco was very young, he ed from Valencia and we had a top team."
Follow all of Tuesday's news conferences and the rest of the day's football news
Match of the Day 2 pundits have been having their say on the race for the Champions League.
Danny Murphy expects Newcastle to be "fine", adding: "At home to Everton, I would say so with those fans behind them.
"Manchester City have got it all in their own hands with that extra game. Bournemouth and Fulham - not easy games but I'd tip them as well.
"If you look around the dressing room and you look at the manager, they're just the best in their class. If they don't have the resilience and fortitude to get through those games then there is a real question mark. They should beat Bournemouth and Fulham nine out of 10 times when they need to."
"That Chelsea-Forest game next week is the pick of the bunch. That's going to be one hell of an atmosphere down there."
Martin Keown said: "I think Forest have been magnificent this year - a breath of fresh air to see how they've performed. It's looking tough for them right now. They just had a little blip at the wrong time but they can't have any regrets to the way they've played this season.
"I think Man City will have enough to get there and so will Aston Villa as well."
Which way will it go? Read more and hear from the managers
Highlights and analysis from Sunday's five Premier League fixtures, plus the best of the action from the rest of the weekend.
If you missed Match of the Day 2, catch up now on BBC iPlayer.
And you can watch Saturday's Match of the Day here.
Listen back to the weekend's full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:
Saturday 17th May
FA Cup final: Crystal Palace 1-0 Manchester City - 5 LIVE
Sunday 18th May
West Ham 1-2 Nottingham Forest - 5 LIVE
Brentford 2-3 Fulham – SPORTS EXTRA 2
Arsenal 1-0 Newcastle - 5 LIVE
Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesChelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez has played through conjunctivitis for the last two Premier League matches.
The 24-year-old midfielder was seen playing with inflammation of his right eye in the 1-0 win over Manchester United which he said impacted his vision in Friday night's win at Stamford Bridge.
But Fernandez is understood to have started having symptoms a week earlier at Newcastle, although he specifically asked to play in both matches.
Fernandez highlighted the issue when posting photos on his Instagram , and said: "(It was the) last match at home with this group that will give it all until the end, we have two finals left.
"Thank you to the fans for the all the season. My first game playing with one eye."
Fernandez is regarded as one of the leaders in the dressing room by manager Enzo Maresca and is having his most productive season for Chelsea - ing six goals and seven assists in 35 Premier League matches.
Image source, Getty ImagesWe asked for your thoughts after Friday's Premier League game between Chelsea and Manchester United.
Here are some of your comments:
Chelsea fans
Chris: Chelsea flatter to deceive again. This Man Utd team are the worst in living memory. In a home tie, a squad assembled at the cost of over £1bn should be putting United to the sword. But scraping a scrappy win shows how far there is to go for this young team and I fear Champions League next season will expose that. Can you imagine them meeting PSG or Barcelona?
Nick: A gritty and professional performance from Chelsea in a game made very difficult by Man Utd's negative style, slow play and disruptive tactics. Chelsea ground out three points and controlled the game well after going in front, limiting United to only one shot on target over the 102 minutes. It wasn't an exciting game, but it was a job well done.
George: For a large part of the game, the two sides looked pretty even. Immediately after Cucurella's goal, I wanted Maresca to act and bring on a midfielder. He took 10 minutes to do that and that was too long for me. A lacklustre United fortunately didn't manage to take control in that time. When Lavia finally came on, Chelsea looked like they were just about going to hold on to their lead.
Roy: An ugly, but important win. Chelsea were very average but I couldn't quite believe how bad Manchester United were. To think that 10 years ago these two clubs were the real titans of the Premier League...
Man Utd fans
Andy: An utter disgrace. Hojlund is a total dead weight, he made not one positive contribution the whole game. Amorim doesn't understand the Premier League, he is totally out of his depth.
Michael: If you keep doing what you do, you keep getting what you get. Amorim's system clearly doesn't work in the Premier League. It's time for him to stop blaming everyone else and to change his thinking.
Rich: I would sack Amorim after this. There is nothing to show for the season and giving him the summer will result in United being in the same position this time next year.
Farid: Did anyone really believe that United would get a result at Chelsea? This is how we have become as Man Utd ers, we don't believe this team can deliver in the Premier League. We are starting to accept mediocrity and defeat, and it is very sad to see how we have become! Even a Europa League title wouldn't make up for these terrible performances.
Did you know?
This was Manchester United's 18th league defeat of the season, their most in a season since losing 20 in 1973-74 in the last season in which they were relegated.
Manchester United have gone eight league games without a win (D2 L6) for the first time since an 11-game stretch between December 1989 and February 1990.
Cole Palmer has created 87 chances in the Premier League this season, the most by a Chelsea player in a campaign since Mason Mount in 2020-21 (87) and Eden Hazard in 2018-19 (98). His 125 shots are the most since Didier Drogba in 2010-11 (150).
Image source, Getty ImagesChelsea captain Reece James has been speaking to Sky Sports about the performance against Manchester United: "We have been working hard the whole season. The messages have been clear from the start, executing them has been hard but this is what we do - day in, day out.
"The first half was super tough. We stayed in the game and we knew that we had to come out and score."
On the importance of getting Champions League football: "I think that is where the club belongs - in the Champions League and competing in the best competitions.
"People like to write us off and call us inexperienced, but we played against a very experienced Manchester United team here. We were there and we won the game. We got what we needed to."
