Joao Felix has been left out of the Chelsea squad to face Manchester City on Saturday after being granted time away from the club following a family bereavement.

Chelsea head to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday evening looking to make a real statement in the race for the Premier League top four. The Blues currently sit fourth, two points above their resurgent hosts.

They will have to face City without Felix as The Telegraph’s Matt Law reports the attacking midfielder has been granted compassionate leave following a family bereavement.

Felix’s absence does not concern the ongoing speculation around his future at Stamford Bridge. AC Milan are among the sides chasing Felix’s signature but Blues boss Enzo Maresca has reaffirmed his desire to keep hold of the 25-year-old.

“For sure, Joao is a Chelsea player,” Maresca told his pre-match press conference.

“The problem, unfortunately, for Joao and Christo [Nkunku], the manager plays most of the games with one attacking midfielder and that is Cole Palmer. We have decided to play with an attacking midfielder in most of the games, so this is the reason why Joao and Christo struggle to get minutes – not for any different reasons because they are both fantastic players, fantastic guys who work well.

“The reason why is only because most of the games I decide to play with one attacking midfielder in terms of balance. This is the reason why.”

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