Graham Potter has made seven changes to his Chelsea side for this evening’s Champions League group stage clash against Dinamo Zagreb – but the team selected by the Blues head coach remains very strong for what is a dead rubber at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea secured their place in the knockout stage last week with an impressive 2-1 victory away at Red Bull Salzburg; Mateo Kovacic and Kai Havertz were on the scoresheet in Austria. The Blues were confirmed as Group E winners soon after following AC Milan’s victory over Dinamo.
It means there is nothing riding on tonight’s game – at least from a Chelsea perspective. And with Arsenal to come in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, there was a belief that Potter would rest the majority of his key players. Instead, he has gone with a starting XI that includes the likes of Mount and Pierre-Emerick Aubamayeng.
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There is a change in goal for Chelsea. Kepa Arrizabalaga has proved himself the number one under Potter but the Spaniard picked up a foot injury in the heavy weekend defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion. That has enabled Edouard Mendy to return to the side after a spell as the deputy to Kepa.
Club captain Cesar Azpilicueta returns to the starting XI at right-back and Trevoh Chalobah, who has played every minute possible since coming on in the win over AC Milan at Stamford Bridge last month, continues at centre-back alongside Kalidou Koulibaly. Ben Chilwell is back in the side at left-back.
There is finally a Chelsea appearance for Denis Zakaria in midfield. The 25-year-old joined the Blues on loan on transfer deadline day from Juventus but has had to wait patiently for a first-team outing. He will be stationed in midfield alongside Jorginho and Mason Mount.
Potter had several options to turn to in his attack with the likes of Hakim Ziyech and Armando Broja pushing for starts. But the Chelsea head coach has – somewhat surprisingly – gone with the experienced trio of Kai Havertz, Raheem Sterling, and Pierre-Emerick Aubamayeng.
Chelsea: Mendy; Azpilicueta, Chalobah, Koulibaly, Chilwell; Zakaria, Jorginho, Mount; Havertz, Aubameyang, Sterling
Chelsea substitutes: Bettinelli, Silva, Cucurella, Loftus-Cheek, Gallagher, Pulisic, Ziyech, Broja
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