With six weeks between Premier League games, after some time off, Graham Potter has set out his plan to reflect and re-energise his Chelsea squad ready to take on Bournemouth. The Blues do not play until the day after Boxing Day and depending on the success of their stars, he may have to monitor who is ready to immediately return to action.
Potter is not a fan of reflecting on formation, and prefers to look at how his players make their impact on the pitch. Nevertheless, reports have emerged that the Blues boss could be considering a more permanent switch to 4-3-3.
While the Blues struggled against Newcastle United in their final Premier League game before the World Cup break, and played with wingbacks on that occasion, the injury to Reece James saw them go through three different options at St James' Park as Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Cesar Azpilicueta picked up knocks and Conor Gallagher even ended up with a second half foray on the right. Potter's men found most success going forward when Gallagher was sent to make a three-man midfield, however.
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So, with that said, football.london looks at the players who could make up the team against Bournemouth, should Potter opt to base his team around a 4-3-3 system.
Kepa Arrizabalaga put forward a compelling case to be Chelsea's No. 1 goalkeeper before his plantar fascia issue that ensured he was unable to travel to the World Cup. Edouard Mendy put in some solid outings but perhaps has not done enough to keep his Spanish teammate out of the net unless his injury issue persists or the Senegal international has an outstanding World Cup.
James was targeting a World Cup return so should be fit in time to face the Cherries, and if he truly is, he is among the first names on the teamsheet on the right. Trevoh Chalobah's pace will be crucial with just two central defenders, and there will be few load concerns for the 23-year-old who will have plenty of time to be influenced by Potter's coaching.
Choosing his partner will be difficult, however. Brazil's campaign will dictate how much rest Thiago Silva needs, while Kalidou Koulibaly could find himself in a similar predicament. There is a chance that Wesley Fofana is fit enough to return after Christmas, and if he can prove that, he could become a real contender with time to form a partnership with Chalobah on the training pitch.
Ben Chilwell is in a similar situation to Fofana, but having three players return from injury in the same match may provide a risk of allowing too many players who still need to get up to full speed. Chilwell's lengthy absences in the past have seen a slow introduction back into the team, so Marc Cucurella may be the better option.
The former Brighton man will also be able to spend time training with his teammates, gaining familiarity throughout the season break, and allows Potter some versatility in shape by being able to operate as a left central defender.
Finding the right combination in the centre of midfield has proved difficult for the Blues. Each midfielder has strong qualities but Chelsea can often struggle to tick every box in their combinations. Potter will hope to dominate possession against Brentford and as a result, perhaps have a bit more freedom.
Denis Zakaria could be a contender given his ability to cover ground, with the World Cup being a key opportunity to find some fitness while Jorginho can set the tempo, but may find his pace exposed with less cover behind him. Mateo Kovacic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek may have more success breaking through opposition lines as Mason Mount looks to connect midfield and attack along with them, providing the trio or all in a fit state in time for the fixture.
Armando Broja and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will be battling it out for the responsibility of leading the Chelsea line. The latter has perhaps shown just a few more moments of class to convert chances if not the better overall form and fitness. With six weeks to act as a pre-season, he could be firing come the festive period, however. Though, Broja will have his chances too.
If Potter chooses to go with a 4-3-3, it would be refreshing to see Raheem Sterling getting an opportunity in perhaps his most dangerous position on the right flank should he have received the appropriate rest post-World Cup.
On the left, Christian Pulisic could be handed the opportunity as one of few of the Blues' attackers looking to carry the ball to create opportunities of late. The US international spoke highly of Potter's influence, and may be looking to prove a point in a Chelsea shirt or earn a move away from the club.
Potential strongest XI: Kepa; James, Chalobah, Fofana, Cucurella; Kovacic, Loftus-Cheek, Mount; Sterling, Aubameyang, Pulisic.
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