Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo returns against Aston Villa today in the only change from Mauricio Pochettino.
The £115million summer signing missed last weekend’s 0-0 draw at Bournemouth with a knee injury but is fit to play at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Noni Madueke is still out but Marc Cucurella is on the bench after illness, while striker Armando Broja is also among the substitutes after a long injury lay-off.
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Reece James, Benoit Badiashile, Carney Chukwuemeka and Trevoh Chalobah remain sidelined, along with long-term absentees Christopher Nkunku, Romeo Lavia, Wesley Fofana and Marcus Bettinelli.
“We need to assess Moi [Caicedo] tomorrow”, Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino had said on Friday. “He was training in a different way to the team.
“We need one day more, maybe, for Broja. Maybe Armando can be involved. Many players are starting to be available in the games. Broja will maybe be involved at the weekend, but it’s after nine months of not competing.”
Asked whether Broja can solve Chelsea’s need for goals, Pochettino replied: “We cannot put the responsibility on him. It must be on the team, the collective effort.”
When asked about the reported setback to Benoit Badiashile’s return from injury, he said: “It was a different muscle.
“A different thing, but it was minor. He is training with Reece James. I have seen Reece and [Carney] Chukwuemeka and also [Trevoh] Chalobah. They are very close to starting to train with the team.”
Chelsea XI: Sanchez, Gusto, Disasi, Thiago Silva, Colwill, Gallagher, Caicedo, Sterling, Fernandez, Mudryk, Jackson
Subs: Cucurella, Ugochukwu, Broja, Palmer, Chilwell, Petrovic, Maatsen, Deivid Washington, Bergstrom
Out: Badiashile, Bettinelli, Chalobah, Chukwuemeka, Fofana, James, Nkunku, Lavia, Madueke
Time and date: 2pm, Sunday September 24, 2023
Venue: Stamford Bridge
