Willian absent for Chelsea against Everton — report

When Chelsea released the line-up for today's match against Everton, one notable absence from the 18-men selection was attacker Willian. The pacy Brazilian international may have been replaced by Pedro in Conte's preferred starting elevens for Premier League games since our 3-0 win against Leicester City last month — in part due to Willian having to miss game time while on a bereavement leave due to the passing of his mother — but Willian has been a solid bench option since returning to the team.

The reason for Willian's absence, according to ESPN's Chelsea correspondent Liam Twomey, is an illness that had the player sent back home to recover from.

Willian's place on the bench has been filled by Chelsea youngster Ola Aina, who will be one of three defenders available as substitute options for Conte alongside veterans Branislav Ivanović and John Terry.

His illness could also affect his status in the Brazilian national team, as he was one of the 24 men selected by manager Tite to join the squad for their next games in South America's World Cup Qualification tournament against Argentina and Peru. Thus, we hope that Willian can recover quickly from this nuisance.