Will two players injured and two points dropped equal no top four for Chelsea?

Chelsea feared dropping points against Burnley but what happened on Monday night was so much worse after they were held to a 2-2 draw and lost N'Golo Kante and Callum Hudson-Odoi to injury.

Maurizio Sarri's side are once against outsiders in a four-team race for two spots in the Premier League's top four, with a lucrative place in next season's Champions League on the line.

The Blues are sat in fourth place but have played a game more than all of their top-four rivals Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham.

The 60-year-old can point to a positive performance but, as he said after the recent lucky win over Cardiff City, all that matters at this stage of the season is three points.

A draw against Burnley was a result that the Blues could ill-afford, even having seen each of their rivals lose this weekend ahead of kick-off, with United notably being humiliated in a 4-0 away defeat to Everton.

Eden Hazard was in form and Chelsea mounted a comeback after Jeff Hendrick scored from Burnley's first shot of the game from long range to make it 1-0.

It only took six minutes for Chelsea to be ahead after Sean Dyche's side took the early initiative, as Hazard's devastating play set up Kante to equalise.

Gonzalo Higuain was under pressure to perform after coming under criticism since his move to Chelsea, but he made it 2-1 in a throwback display to his Napoli days.

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Chelsea looked good going forward but there are questions over the defence that conceded again from a set-piece when Ashley Barnes made it 2-2. Sarri was then spotted in a heated discussion with David Luiz, while Gianfranco Zola also had a word with Andreas Christensen.

However, the story of the game was arguably a sideshow to more significant problems after Hudson-Odoi damaged his Achilles trying to pull a high ball out of the air. There will be a fear that he could miss Chelsea's run-in as he looked in some agony leaving the field.

It took Hudson-Odoi all season to break into the starting line-up under Sarri before four consecutive league starts finally recognised his unique talent.

Losing a wonderkid is one thing, but losing one of only two world-class players at the club would be even tougher following Kante's half-time substitution. However, Zola softened fears over the potential future loss of the midfielder.

Zola said: “N'Golo was taken down on the counter and, as he fell, he fell on the foot of a player, so he had a contusion in his ribs. He couldn't breathe totally. I think he will be alright.”

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Chelsea's stars have mostly avoided injury complaints this season, but this now represents a major issue as an injury list grows with Antonio Rudiger, Marcos Alonso and Willian's names already on there.

Willian's injury is also fresh, but he is hoping to be back for the upcoming match at Old Trafford when a season-defining game sees Chelsea travel to face United on Sunday.

Chelsea's injury problems will not be seen as a mitigating circumstance for failure as the likes of Harry Kane, Ander Herrera and Aaron Ramsey are among those missing out at their rivals for a top-four spot.

Ahead of the trip to the north west, it looks like it won't only be Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men who are under pressure, as doubts over both clubs will loom large over the match.

The Blues can always fall back on victory in the Europa League to qualify for next season's Champions League but poor results in English football will keep people doubting Sarri's ability to lead Chelsea into another triumphant era.

Sarri was sent down the tunnel after a melee on the pitch between both sets of players and it continued after the match, as players and coaching staff were close to trading blows on the final whistle.

These are heated times at the end of the Premier League, and it showed on an unseasonably warm night in London.