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Scott Trotter & Bobby Vincent

Armando Broja starts, big Denis Zakaria decision – Graham Potter's Chelsea XI vs Dinamo Zagreb

Chelsea will wrap up their Champions League group stage on Wednesday evening with Dinamo Zagreb coming to Stamford Bridge.

The Croatians won the reverse fixture, rather surprisingly, 1-0. It turned out to be Thomas Tuchel's last match as the Blues' head coach, with the German being sacked the following morning.

So much has changed at Chelsea since then. Graham Potter has been appointed and has already managed 10 matches in all competitions, winning six, drawing three and losing just the one.

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Potter has used plenty of different formations in his time at Chelsea so far and has experimented with different personnel when doing so. On Wednesday, with Chelsea already through as Group E winners, he is expected to make a host of changes and perhaps give some rare opportunities to the 'fringe' players in the squad.

So, with that being said, two of football.london's Chelsea's writers Bobby Vincent and Scott Trotter try to do the impossible and predict the XI Potter will field.

Bobby Vincent

It looks like a return to the team for Edouard Mendy. Kepa Arrizabalaga picked up an injury in Saturday's loss to Brighton and Mendy will almost certainly be starting on Wednesday evening against Dinamo.

Potter may look to field a back-three again and if that is the case, then I expect to see Kalidou Koulibaly, Trevoh Chalobah and Cesar Azpilicueta as the trio. Thiago Silva will surely be handed a rest, with Reece James and Wesley Fofana still sidelined through injury.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek could be the man at right wing-back with Ben Chilwell on the opposite flank. There could be a midfield two of Jorginho and Denis Zakaria. The latter, Zakaria, is yet to play for Chelsea and will surely be handed some minutes in their final group game.

There could be a rare start for Hakim Ziyech. The Moroccan has barely featured for Chelsea this season and could start behind the striker – who I expect is Armando Broja – alongside Christian Pulisic.

Bobby's XI: Mendy; Azpilicueta, Chalobah, Koulibaly; Loftus-Cheek, Jorginho, Zakaria, Chilwell; Ziyech, Pulisic, Broja.

Scott Trotter

With Wednesday's clash counting for little, it's extremely tempting to rotate as much as possible. Big ties against Arsenal, Manchester City and Newcastle follow and given the workload the likes of Silva have carried in recent weeks, Potter should take the opportunity even if he swiftly wants to bounce back from his first defeat as Blues boss.

Mendy appears certain to start after Kepa injury while Koulibaly's return to training comes at a good time to try and offer at least once central defender some rest. Azpilicueta can come into the side having taken a bench role in the last week, and be ably supported by Dion Rankine if his training involvement turns into a place in the first team squad. Chilwell will be keen for another start to complete the backline.

If Zakaria doesn't start against Zagreb, his Chelsea future would appear set in stone, while Ziyech will hope to build on his bench appearance for a first start under Potter. Broja will be keen to add to his start versus Brentford, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is starting to feel like he needs to find some form, so perhaps the Blues could go for a rare two up top.

Scott's XI: Mendy; Azpilicueta, Chalobah, Koulibaly, Chilwell; Zakaria, Jorginho; Ziyech, Gallagher; Broja, Aubameyang.

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