Sunday 20 November 2016 14:37, UK
Antonio Conte will wait to make a final decision on whether to start Diego Costa in Chelsea's Nissan Super Sunday clash at Middlesbrough, live on Sky Sports 1 HD.
The Spain striker withdrew from international duty with a groin injury and returned to training with Chelsea on Wednesday.
But Conte will take his time before deciding whether to include the in-form striker, who has nine goals in 11 Premier League games, from the start.
The Blues will be full of confidence heading to the Riverside after a run of five straight league wins which has helped them rise to second in the table.
Meanwhile, Middlesbrough have just one win from their last nine league matches but draws away at Arsenal and Manchester City and a home victory against Bournemouth have seen Aitor Karanka's climb up to 15th in the table.
However, they have lost their last six games against Chelsea, failing to score in each match.
Team news
Middlesbrough have a major injury doubt over George Friend with the defender facing a late fitness test after picking up a knee injury in training. He could be replaced by Fabio da Silva at the back, while Daniel Ayala (ankle) is still ruled out.
Gaston Ramirez returns after missing the 1-1 draw at Manchester City due to suspension while the rest of Aitor Karanka's squad reported back from international duty apparently unscathed.
Chelsea have no injury concerns with midfielder Cesc Fabregas and Kurt Zouma fit again, although the latter will not be rushed back to the first team following his lengthy lay-off with a knee injury.
Opta stats
Chelsea have been beaten just twice in their last 17 Premier League games against Boro, with both losses in 2006 (W12 D3).
Middlesbrough are looking to win successive home Premier League games for the first time since August 2008.
Eden Hazard is set to make 150th Premier League appearance in this game - he has 48 goals and 31 assists in his 149 league games for Chelsea. He would be the sixth Chelsea player to score 50 Premier League goals if he scores twice more.
However, six of Hazard's seven goals this season have been scored at Stamford Bridge.
If Chelsea win this game without conceding, it will be the 10th time a Premier League club has won 6+ consecutive games without shipping a goal - Chelsea will have been responsible for half of those.
Chelsea are 14 points better off this season after 11 games (25) than they were last season at this point (11).
Only two teams have collected fewer home points in the Premier League this season than Middlesbrough (four) - Swansea (two) and Sunderland (one).
Diego Costa has been involved in more Premier League goals than any other player this season (12, nine goals and three assists).
Costa has scored in nine of his last 12 Premier League appearances for Chelsea.
Five of Middlesbrough's last seven Premier League goals have come from crosses.
Merson's prediction
Boro have turned the corner. To pick up five points from their last three games - away at Arsenal where they should have won, home to Bournemouth who were on form, and to then get a draw at City, who had just beaten Barcelona.
This will be very, very difficult for them, and I think they're going to set up, as they did against Arsenal and City, to make it very difficult for Chelsea to break them down.
I've played at Boro, it's harder to sit back at home than it is away, because the fans will want you to attack, but if they open this game up it will get messy.
The three at the back is working for Chelsea, and I think the wing-backs have done great. But playing wing-back is the graveyard shift, it's a hard job. You're up and down, up and down all day, you have to be the full-back and the winger at the same time.
I'd be shocked if Conte can get his wing-backs doing that week in, week out, and when they start getting tired, you start playing five at the back and getting overrun in midfield. If they can rotate their wing-backs, they can do anything.
They've been outstanding since the Arsenal defeat, they have ripped teams apart. They made Everton look like a League Two team.
PAUL PREDICTS: 0-2
Betting
Chelsea are Sky Bet's 4/7 favourites for the victory with Middlesbrough up against odds of 5/1, with the draw priced at 29/10.
The Blues have been cut to 11/4 to win the Premier League following their five-match winning run and are 11/8 for another win to nil.
Diego Costa, who headed into the weekend at 11/4 to be the Premier League top scorer, is the same price to open the scoring, while Alvaro Negredo is considered the hosts' main threat at 9/1 to net first.
Find out what the Soccer Saturday pundits and Jamie Redknapp are backing in their Sky Bet tips here.
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