Chelsea forward Romelu Lukaku remains absent for Real Madrid fixture

Chelsea forward Romelu Lukaku has been ruled out of Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final fixture at Real Madrid.

Ahead of the weekend's Premier League game at Southampton, Thomas Tuchel revealed that the club-record signing was suffering with a minor Achilles injury.

With the Belgian having missed the trip to St Mary's, it was perceived that the frontman would have a better chance of featuring in the squad for the second leg of the quarter-final tie at the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, while Cesar Azpilicueta will return to the squad after providing several negative coronavirus tests, Lukaku will be absent for a second game in succession.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference, Tuchel said: "Callum Hudson-Odoi is still out. Ben Chilwell is of course still out. Romelu will not travel with us because of his pain in the Achilles.

"Azpi is in the group. He has tested several times negative, and Ross Barkley is sick and will not travel."

With Chelsea trailing 3-1 after the first leg at Stamford Bridge, Tuchel has reiterated that it is "very unlikely" that the defending champions will progress through to the last four.