Rumblings of discontent as most of Chelsea’s backline facing contract uncertainty

Chelsea go into tomorrow’s league match at Stamford Bridge against Leeds United with murmurings of discontent that almost the whole defence could up sticks and exit SW6 at the end of the season if their contracts are not extended.

Club captain Cesar Azpilicueta, Andreas Christensen, Thiago Silva and Toni Rudiger are all out of contract in July and they are waiting to hear the outcomes of negotiations with the club.

Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are keen to sign Azpilicueta, 32, while Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and PSG are eying up German stopper Rudiger.

The frustrations are also maybe a result in a serious dip in defensive form which has seen the Blues ship six goals in the last two matches – a devastating 3-2 away defeat in the league to West Ham at the weekend and a disappointing 3-3 draw at Zenit in the Champions League on Wednesday.

That draw saw the Blues finish second in their group and they will face one of either Ajax, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Lille in the last 16, with the draw taking place on Monday.

Head coach Thomas Tuchel said of the match in Russia: “We had a very good first 15 minutes and then we stopped doing those things.

“We were forgetting why we were the better team. Our behaviour changed when we had the lead and this is something we never did and we should never do.

“We do the things that we want to do on the highest level and we push ourselves and it hurts and it has to hurt.

“You have to play through pain – physical pain – and you have to raise your level of concentration and you have to overcome adversity.

“If you change your behaviour because of the score, you allow the possibility to get punished.”

Chelsea women were left equally frustrated with their 0-0 Champions League draw at home to Juventus which leaves them needing a point away to German outfit Wolfsburg next week to progress.

The west Londoners missed a host of chances and striker Sam Kerr was lucky only to receive a yellow card for bundling a pitch invader to the ground.

It was a night of frustration which head coach Emma Hayes tried to rationalise.

She said: “The game played out exactly as I thought it would. I’m extremely proud of the players to have played such an important game so soon soon after the FA Cup final win at the weekend.

“We were the team that pushed for goals, but looked tired up front. Sam Kerr has played three games in seven days – the first one was in Australia. But we are in the driving seat. We go into the last game where we want to be. I’m confident for the Wolfsburg game.

“We believe in our ability. We are not superhuman. Qualifying from the group is the priority.

“I’m not frustrated with these domestic quadruple winners. I’ll drive the standards. Sometimes you have to acknowledge it was a good point won, considering all the factors.

“Their goalkeeper was their best player. They had eight or nine players inside their penalty box most of the game.

“It’s really difficult sometimes – you need one of the chances to go in. But it’s another clean sheet.

“All I could think is that if we couldn’t score, then keep a clean sheet, take a point – Chelsea of old might have conceded.”

Of the pitch invader, Hayes said: “I don’t know why he did not wait until the end. He could have had a photograph if he really wanted one.

“But joking aside, you have to think of player safety. We have seen in the growth of the game that the players are more in demand. It should serve as a reminder to us all that they have to put player protection first.”