Chelsea welcome London rivals Fulham to Stamford Bridge for Friday’s late Premier League clash.
Graham Potter’s side have been inconsistent over the entire season and they are currently 10 points behind the Champions League places. There is still time to close the gap but they need to start winning games regularly, starting from this weekend.
Chelsea will be aiming to take revenge on Fulham on Friday, having lost the reverse meeting at Craven Cottage 2-1 last month. Here is how they are expected to line up for the London derby.
Goalkeeper: Kepa Arrizabalaga is currently the first-choice keeper under Potter without doubt. The Spaniard has had some poor performances but he has also stood out in games. He recently starred in the 1-0 win over Crystal Palace with several world-class saves. Arrizabalaga is expected to start in goal.
Defence: Potter could revert to a traditional back four against Fulham. Thiago Silva and Benoit Badiashile should start in central defence with their impressive run of form. Marc Cucurella is likely to play at left-back ahead of Lewis Hall, who could play in midfield again. Cesar Azpilicueta should start at right-back with Reece James not fully fit after his knee injury. The England star may get minutes off the bench.
Midfield: Enzo Fernandez may not make his debut tomorrow with Chelsea yet to get international clearance for him. There will still be a change in central midfield with Jorginho having been sold to London rivals Arsenal on deadline day. Conor Gallagher could drop into the centre of the park to partner Lewis Hall. Ruben Loftus-Cheek could be called up from the bench after his recent injury.
Attack: Mason Mount seems a clear-cut choice in the number 10 position. Hakim Ziyech has been the regular choice on the right wing but he was pretty much on his way to Paris Saint-Germain on loan on Tuesday before the deal broke down due to delayed paperwork. Noni Madueke could start over him. The Englishman should make his debut, having trained the whole week.
On the left wing, we have Mykhailo Mudryk, who had a superb 35-minute against Liverpool. Chelsea fans were mesmerised by his performance off the bench and the Ukrainian star is expected to start. Kai Havertz bagged the winning goal against Palace with a header last month. The German has not been playing at his best but can still do the job with his clutch moments in games.
Expected Chelsea line-up against Fulham
