Team News: Thiago Silva, N'Golo Kante recalled to Chelsea XI for Real Madrid game

Thiago Silva and N'Golo Kante have both been recalled to Chelsea's starting lineup for the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final tie with Real Madrid.

Silva has been sidelined since the end of February with a knee injury, while Kante has only made two appearances since recovering from hamstring surgery.

However, Frank Lampard has handed starts to the pair with the Blues seemingly switching to a back three with Raheem Sterling and Joao Felix in attack.

Wesley Fofana and Kalidou Koulibaly retain their spots in defence, as do Enzo Fernandez and Mateo Kovacic with Conor Gallagher dropping down to the substitutes' bench.

With Chelsea having not scored in their last three fixtures, Kai Havertz is also only selected among the replacements, where he is joined by the likes of Mason Mount and Mykhaylo Mudryk.

Meanwhile, Carlo Ancelotti has made six changes to his Real starting lineup, only retaining Thibaut Courtois, David Alaba and the front three of Rodrygo, Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior.

Former Chelsea pair Antonio Rudiger and Eden Hazard are selected on the bench, as is Aurelien Tchouameni with Federico Valverde getting the nod in central midfield.

With Toni Kroos and Luka Modric completing the central trio, Eduardo Camavinga will seemingly start at left-back.

Real Madrid: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Camavinga; Kroos, Modric, Valverde; Rodrygo, Benzema, Vinicius Jr

Subs: Lunin, Lopez, Vallejo, Nacho, Hazard, Asensio, Odriozola, Vazquez, Tchouameni, Ceballos, Rudiger, Mariano

Chelsea: Arrizabalaga; Fofana, Thiago Silva, Koulibaly; James, Kante, Kovacic, Fernandez, Chilwell; Sterling, Felix

Subs: Mendy, Chalobah, Azpilicueta, Cucurella, Loftus-Cheek, Mount, Zakaria, Ziyech, Gallagher, Havertz, Mudryk, Pulisic