Chelsea head into their penultimate away match of the season against Everton, with former boss Frank Lampard awaiting them at Goodison Park. It will be the first time the legendary Chelsea midfielder has faced his former team since October 2018, when his Derby side lost 3-2 to the Blues in the Carabao Cup.
The Toffees are fighting for their Premier League lives as Lampard prepares to face-off with his replacement in the Chelsea hot seat in Thoams Tuchel for the first time. Everton are currently housed in the relegation zone on 29 points, two behind Burnley but with a game in hand.
Tuchel's side are still looking to secure their place in the Champions League ahead of their FA Cup final against Liverpool but have all but claimed their place in the top four. The Blues boss is expecting a difficult task, particularly going up against some former members of the backroom team.
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Speaking ahead of the game, Tuchel said: "We didn't have the chance to go out and have lunch, and he also took the chance to go and take charge of Everton. He took an assistant from us, Joe Edwards, and were not so happy! Just joking. We will meet some friendly faces [on Sunday] with Joe and Ashley Cole, and Frank, who I have never met in person.
"I would love to meet him. We need the points, and they need the points urgently as well. It is an exciting week for me personally. I love to play at Old Trafford, and everybody tells me about the atmosphere at Goodison Park, how emotional and how tough it is to play there. These are two nice fixtures, what it is all about. I am excited to go there, and we expect a tough fight."
football.london takes a look at the changes Tuchel could make to his XI against the Toffees below:
Trevoh Chalobah start
There's an argument to be made that 22-yeard-old should play as often as possible before the season is out. Chalobah is one of the few central defenders who feel guaranteed to be at Stamford Bridge next season, with the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen to deal with as a minimum.
With a place in the Champions League all but sewn up, it would seem a good time to see the level Chalobah can reach alongside Thiago Silva in Chelsea's back three and to invest in players that will remain at the club where possible. The former Huddersfield Town loanee returned to the starting XI against West Ham and put in a pretty solid display before returning to the bench against Manchester United. Even if he is not quite Tuchel's first choice option, there are serious benefits to him earning minutes before the season is out to help establish the kind of role that will be expected of him next term.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek start
In a similar vain, it could be sensible for Ruben Loftus-Cheek to earn more minutes in his preferred position if Tuchel hope's to unleash the 'monster' in him to help overcome any concerns of playing week to week. Practice to make perfect.
Ahead of the game against Manchester United, Tuchel said: "In general, he is shy and a very calm person. He needs to discover this monster in him and unleash this on a regular basis because it is absolutely necessary. It is not enough to be just on the pitch. It might if you regard his last years, it may seem as a first step, good that he is a regular, but I'm not happy because this is not enough. We cannot let him think it is enough, he needs to constantly push himself to the limit.
"We try every day and are quite successful given his development. He needs to understand how much potential he has and unleash this physical capacity on a daily basis. In training, he cannot let loose. He needs to be under pressure and play every game like a cup final."
The match against Everton could provide a good opportunity with Mateo Kovacic having only just returned to training, and N'Golo Kante and Jorginho have started the Blues' last two matches. The Frenchman was the man to make way against the Red Devils, so perhaps he'll be best suited to starting at Goodison Park alongside Loftus-Cheek. Though, the duo will hope for a better performance than against Arsenal.
Romelu Lukaku start
While he didn't start the game against Manchester United, it was another low impact cameo from Romelu Lukaku at Old Trafford. The Belgian replaced Kai Havertz, who had a frustrating night in front of goal but was unable to fare any better.
Everton presents another former club for Lukaku, however, and Goodison Park should hold some good memories for the striker, so it could provide another opportunity to see the £97.5 million singing can rekindle some of his magic. The thought process didn't quite work against Arsenal, but giving Havertz a brief break and providing Lukaku with a chance on a pitch he is very familiar with could serve two purposes. With the season coming to a close, there won't be many more chances for Tuchel and Lukaku to find some inspiration ahead of the summer and an uncertain situation.
