In one of the few fixtures of the FA Cup's fourth round between two Premier League sides, Chelsea will travel south to square off against Brighton.
The Blues are hoping to reach a Wembley Stadium final for the fourth time since 2022, but Brighton will be keen on bouncing back after getting destroyed 0–7 by Nottingham Forest in their last game.
Chelsea and Brighton will play consecutive games against each other at Amex Stadium in a span of a week. The FA Cup round four fixture will be the warm-up for their Premier League clash on Feb. 14.
Enzo Maresca will likely field close to his strongest XI trying to secure a place in round five. However, Chelsea are suddenly incredibly thin and striker with both Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu picking up injuries vs. West Ham that could sideline them for the contest—Maresca already confirmed Guiu will be out. Christopher Nkunku appears poised to feature as the team's center forward.
Here's how Chelsea could lineup vs. Brighton in round 4 of the FA Cup on Saturday, Feb. 8.
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Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Brighton (4-2-3-1)
GK: Filip Jörgensen—The former Villarreal goalkeeper might've taken over the starting duties over the struggling Robert Sánchez.
RB: Malo Gusto—Gusto gets the nod as Chelsea continues to manage Reece James's minutes.
CB: Trevoh Chalobah—Recently recalled from loan, Chalobah could play a major role for Chelsea in the remainder of the season.
CB: Tosin Adarabioyo—Adarabioyo's clutch block saved the three points for Chelsea vs. West Ham. He'll get the nod over the recently struggling Levi Colwill.
LB: Marc Cucurella—Cucurella returns to his former home looking to put together another solid performance.
CM: Moisés Caicedo—The Ecuador international will also return to his former home as he continues to be Maresca's most utilized player.
CM: Enzo Fernández—The 2022 World Cup champion was one of Chelsea's bright spots in the win vs. West Ham.
RW: Pedro Neto—Neto changed the game with his cameo vs. West Ham in what fans will hope becomes a turning point in his previously gray season.
AM: Cole Palmer—Palmer scored four first half goals the last time Chelsea played Brighton.
LW: Jadon Sancho—Sancho's been quiet in recent games but will hope to offer creativity from the left wing.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Brighton: FA Cup.
