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• Chelsea midfielder Fernandez undergoes groin surgery

  Chelsea will be without Enzo Fernandez for their final six games of the season due to a groin issue.

  Fernandez was forced off with an injury during Chelsea's 5-0 defeat at Arsenal on Tuesday.

  And it has now been confirmed the 23-year-old World Cup winner has undergone surgery, and will subsequently miss the final month of Chelsea's campaign.

  Fernandez has made 28 Premier League appearances this season, scoring three goals. Chelsea did not put a timeframe on his return, though Argentina will be hoping the former Benfica star is fit to feature in the Copa America, which begins in late June.

  The Blues sit ninth in the table, though they do have games in hand on all of their rivals for European qualification.

  Mauricio Pochettino's team take on Champions League hopefuls Aston Villa on Saturday, with fixtures against Tottenham, West Ham Nottingham Forest, Brighton and Bournemouth to follow.

• D.C. United v Seattle Sounders: Jordan Morris reflects on ‘special’ moments with club-doctor father

  Seattle Sounders star Jordan Morris reflected on the “special” nature of being able to share some incredible moments with his father Micheal, who is leaving his role as the team’s chief medical officer.

  Dr Morris has been with the Sounders for 18 years.

  However, Dr Morris is now calling time on his stint at the club.

  Dr Morris’ son, Jordan, has established himself as a United States regular and a leading light in MLS, and the winger is delighted to have shared such a path with his father in close proximity.

  “It's been special to share moments like after winning MLS Cup at home and after winning the Champions League at home,” said Jordan.

  “We took pictures with the trophies together, He was in the locker room while we were celebrating and I think it's a really unique experience to kind of have him on the sidelines for all these games and something that not a lot of people get to experience, so I feel fortunate to have had him around.”

  Dr Morris said: “It’s been a blessing. It’s a gift.”

  “Being part of the Sounders has been the best thing in my professional career. It’s the most rewarding thing and I'll definitely miss it.”

  Seattle have had a poor start to the season and sit 12th in the Eastern Conference. D.C., meanwhile, are 11th in the West.

  Morris Jr said: “We know this stretch is huge. And playing two games on the road against really good teams is not going to be easy.”

  “We have to find a way to turn that around.”

  PLAYERS TO WATCH

  D.C. United – Christian Benteke

  Benteke won 13 of 18 aerial duels for D.C. last time out, his fourth match this season with at least 13 aerial duels won, something no other player has done once this MLS season.

  Seattle Sounders – Raul Ruidiaz

  Ruidiaz is the Sounders’ leading scorer in MLS this term, with four goals. No other player has managed more than one.

  MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW

  D.C. ended a six-match losing streak against Seattle with a 2-0 home win the last time the sides met in September 2019. It was only D.C.’s third win in 15 all-time meetings with Seattle in all competitions (D2 L10).

  Seattle’s six points through eight matches is the worst start to a season in the club’s MLS history. This is the first time the Sounders have not won at least two of their first eight games of an MLS season.

  D.C. have suffered consecutive defeats for the first time since late August last year. United hasn’t lost more than two straight games since a four-match losing streak to end the 2022 season.

  OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

  D.C. United – 36.1%

  Seattle Sounders – 34.2%

  Draw – 29.7%

• Philadelphia Union v Real Salt Lake: Curtin keen to maintain tough reputation

  Jim Curtin is keen to see the Philadelphia Union retain their reputation as a tough team to play against, with his side still unbeaten this season ahead of Saturday's visit of Real Salt Lake.

  The Union sit sixth in the Eastern Conference standings with three wins and four draws so far this term, their latest stalemate coming by a 2-2 scoreline against Atlanta United last time out.

  While Curtin was somewhat disappointed to see the Union's three-match winning streak ended in Georgia, he is pleased by the resilience they have shown ahead of their return to Subaru Park.

  "Whether people in the public think we're good or think we're bad, they will at least say we're tough to play against," Curtin said. 

  "I think that unequivocally across the board, there's not a coach or general manager or fan in this league that would say we're an easy team to deal with and play against.

  "Part of that is not losing, finding ways to turn losses into ties, ties into wins, and we'll look to try to continue to do that and really protect our home field."

  Philadelphia face a tough test this weekend, though, against a Salt Lake team currently flying high in third in the Western Conference. 

  Pablo Mastroeni's men are unbeaten in their last four games, producing their best performance of 2024 to date last time out as they thrashed the Chicago Fire 4-0 on the road. 

  "I'm so excited about what we can do as a group, as players and coaches, and the onus is on us to continue to get better and really push this thing forward," Mastroeni said after that win.

  "I think we've established a decent standard, and we know where we are at our best and where we are lacking, but it's testament to the work the guys are doing during the week."

  PLAYERS TO WATCH

  Philadelphia Union – Mikael Uhre

  Uhre scored the Union's first goal as they fought back from two goals down to draw in Atlanta.

  He has four goal involvements in MLS play this term (three goals, one assist), a tally only matched by Daniel Gazdag and Julian Carranza among his Union team-mates.

  Real Salt Lake – Cristian Arango

  Arango scored twice against the Fire last week and has now been involved in at least one goal in four straight regular-season road games, equalling the longest such streak in Real Salt Lake's history.

  Might he break new ground at Subaru Park?

  MATCH PREDICTION – PHILADELPHIA UNION WIN

  The Union's only win in 12 all-time meetings with Real Salt Lake was a 4-1 home victory when the teams last met at Subaru Park in May 2018 (six draws, five losses). This will be the sides' first meeting on any ground since June 2019.

  While the visitors are unbeaten in their last five matches (three wins, two draws), this could be their toughest test to date.

  Philadelphia have only lost one of their last 41 regular-season home matches (28 wins, 12 draws), including going unbeaten through their last 16 (nine wins, seven draws), a run dating back over a year.

  OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

  Philadelphia Union – 57.8%

  Real Salt Lake – 17.3%

  Draw – 24.9%