Willian, Pedro agree to complete season with Chelsea

Pending free agents Willian and Pedro signed short-term contracts with Chelsea on Tuesday to see out the 2019-20 season with the club.

Chelsea had until Tuesday evening to finalize deals.

The players - whose contracts were set to expire on June 30 - are now available for selection for the Blues' final eight Premier League games and any remaining FA Cup and Champions League fixtures.

But they're still expected to leave once the season is over. Willian has been unable to reach an agreement with Chelsea over a new, multi-year contract, according to The Guardian's Jacob Steinberg, while Pedro reportedly agreed to join Roma on a free transfer.

Manager Frank Lampard can now rest easy after several weeks of uncertainty. Pedro was reportedly reluctant to sign a short-term deal because of fears he'd get injured and compromise his move to Roma.

As leagues across the globe shut down, FIFA gave clubs and players the option of extending any expiring contract to cover the remainder of the campaign. Manchester City's David Silva, Tottenham's Jan Vertonghen, and Liverpool's Adam Lallana are among the Premier League players who agreed to stay put.

In May, Chelsea triggered an option in Olivier Giroud's contract to keep the Frenchman at Stamford Bridge until at least June 2021.

Willian has appeared in all but one Premier League match this season, underscoring his importance to Lampard. Pedro, however, has played more of a bit part; he was an unused substitute in Sunday's 2-1 win over Aston Villa.