Chelsea transfer news: Guus Hiddink tells Aston Villa manager Remi Garde to 'respect' Blues after Loic Remy interest

'I will see if we can recover them as fast as possible, at least one'

Loïc Rémy (left) and Radamel Falcao (centre) in training for Chelsea (Rex Features)

Guus Hiddink wants “the most powerful squad possible”, but Chelsea’s interim manager is facing questions over the future and fitness of his two back-up strikers, Loïc Rémy and Radamel Falcao, who is back to “square one” after another thigh injury.

Hiddink had to play Eden Hazard up front against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Monday because Chelsea’s first-choice centre-forward, Diego Costa, was suspended. Both Rémy and Falcao, who have scored one Premier League goal each this season, were out and are unlikely to make Sunday’s trip to Crystal Palace.

“I hope they recover very fast to be available,” Hiddink said at his press conference. “We need a double occupation for all the positions and we didn’t have that [on 28 December]. I will see if we can recover them as fast as possible, at least one.”

Rémy has a calf problem, which leaves him “doubtful” for 2 January. The French striker is a target for Aston Villa next month, with their manager, Rémi Garde, admitting that Rémy was one of the players he is hoping to sign when the transfer window reopens this weekend.

Hiddink warned his Villa counterpart not to talk about Chelsea players in public and said that Rémy must prove his fitness at Chelsea before his future can even be discussed.

“From our point of view, I don’t think we, or the management, will go into a similar situation [of public discussion],” Hiddink said. “You have to respect where the players are.

“If you are interested, talk first to the people to whom they are contracted. You cannot go into details. But the player has signed a contract here and must be fit for us. He’s having a difficult time regarding his injuries.

“He has to prove first of all that he’s a good Chelsea player. He has a calf problem for several days.”

Falcao will be out for longer than Rémy, with Hiddink admitting that the Colombia striker was “back to square one” after picking up another thigh injury.

The former Atletico Madrid forward has not appeared for Chelsea for two months – and another setback means he will not figure for a while longer. “We had him in a game and he had that injury again that he had before, to the inside of his thigh,” Hiddink said. “I think he is back to square one. He is in treatment at the moment, he cannot appear on the pitch.

“He was out, and our medical staff tried to build him up and he had a setback, which is not always a positive signal. We hope within 10 days he might be fit again, but not to play.”

Falcao’s loan spell at Chelsea has been so unsuccessful that it could be terminated and the player sent back to Monaco, if the clubs and player agreed to it.

Hiddink, however, refused to be drawn on the 29-year-old’s future. “There’s been no contact at this moment,” he said. “I don’t want to go there. We have an open period from the first to the last day of the January window. It’s not good to talk in advance in this case. You don’t go through the side door.”