European football matchday: Chelsea travel to Leeds United; Bayern Munich at Bremen in most-contested fixture

A look at what’s happening in European football on Saturday: ENGLAND Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham will miss the trip to Leeds after a setback in training in his recovery from an ankle injury. Defender Thiago Silva has experienced a minor recurrence of a prior thigh problem, so will also miss the game at Elland Road. Chelsea are in the fourth Champions League spot, two points ahead of West Ham, who have a game in hand. Everton are two points further back going into their game against Burnley. Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure has been ruled out for up to 10 weeks with a broken bone in a foot while playmaker James Rodriguez will not play again until after next month due to a calf problem. Manchester City are 14 points clear in first place before travelling to Fulham, who have lost just one of their last seven games and are only in the relegation zone on goal difference. West Bromwich Albion, who are eight points from safety, play Crystal Palace having drawn four of their last eight league games. Palace are eight points clear of the bottom three. SPAIN Leaders Atletico Madrid cross the capital to face a struggling Getafe looking to strengthen their six-point advantage over second-placed Barcelona with 12 rounds remaining. Diego Simeone insists his Atletico team are completely focused on the derby that comes four days before they host Chelsea needing to overturn a 1-0 deficit in the Champions League round-of-16. Atlético have won their last six visits to Getafe without conceding a single goal. Third-placed Real Madrid are eight points behind Atlético and cannot afford a slip when they host Elche. Sergio Ramos and Eden Hazard are back from long injury layoffs for Madrid. Alavés host Cádiz needing to end a run of four consecutive losses, while Valladolid are at Osasuna with both trying to move away from the relegation zone. ITALY Two of the surprises of Serie A meet when eighth-placed Hellas Verona visit ninth-placed Sassuolo. The sides are looking to make a late-season run and book a spot in the Europa League. Also, Filippo Inzaghi’s Benevento squad host Fiorentina with the teams level on points and looking to climb farther from the drop zone; and Genoa host Udinese. GERMANY Werder Bremen welcome Bayern Munich for the Bundesliga’s most contested pairing. The clubs have met 109 times, and Bremen have a pressing problem ahead of the 110th clash – how to stop Bayern star Robert Lewandowski. The Poland forward is on 31 goals from 24 rounds and closing in on Gerd Müller’s 49-year-old record of 40 in a season. Ten rounds remain including this weekend. Bremen have carved out some breathing space in their battle against relegation with two wins and a draw from their last three games. Florian Kohfeldt’s team are 11 points clear of the relegation zone. Bayern’s lead has been cut to two points and they can ill-afford any slipups with second-place Leipzig on a six-game winning run in the league. (Leipzig play fourth-place Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.) Borussia Dortmund host Hertha Berlin in Saturday’s late game. Also, Union Berlin welcome Cologne, Freiburg visit Mainz, and Wolfsburg host last-place Schalke. FRANCE Jorge Sampaoli takes charge of his second game for Marseille when they face Brest at home. The Argentine coach will hope for an improved performance after a late goal sealed a scrappy midweek home win against a struggling Rennes. Sampaoli has 10 games to lead a late charge and get Marseille into the Europa League, and he will hope playmaker Dimitri Payet recaptures his best form to help that push. If Marseille lose at Stade Velodrome, then Angers can move level on points with a home win against Saint-Etienne, which is hovering just above the relegation zone.