Chelsea supporters' nightmare became true on Friday. After seeing Reece James limp off at the San Siro, Blues fans on social media went into panic mode. However, he joined his team-mates on the pitch at full-time, so there were early indications that the knee injury was not as bad as initially feared.
That is not the case, though, as football.london reported on Friday afternoon. James is now facing a race to be fit in time for next month's FIFA World Cup after a scan on Thursday.
James has arguably been Chelsea's best player so far this season. Even when times were hard under Thomas Tuchel, the England international was still producing sparkling performances on a consistent basis. With Chelsea in fine form since Graham Potter's appointment, James continued to standout, but his momentum has now been brought to a stop.
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With James' absence, it begs a few questions for Potter to deal with regarding his selection. So, with that said, football.london now tries to do the impossible job of predicting the XI Potter will field away at Aston Villa.
Kepa Arrizabalaga should keep his place in between the posts. The Spaniard hasn't put a foot wrong since coming into the side when Edouard Mendy was suffering with a knee injury. It's now up to Mendy to be patient and wait for his opportunity under Potter.
Potter has played both four at the back and three at the back in his short stint as Chelsea head coach, so it is rather difficult to predict how he will set up his side. He may be tempted to go for a three-back again after seeing his side dominate AC Milan in the week.
Trevoh Chalobah could start on the right-hand side of the three, with Thiago Silva in the centre and Kalidou Koulibaly on the right. Silva was rested in midweek – which was a gamble at the time, but it more than paid off. Anytime possible Potter can rest the 38-year-old, he will take it.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek could come in to replace the injured James at right wing-back. Potter of course has the option of club captain Cesar Azpilicueta, too, who has impressed in the past couple of games. On the other side, it's between Ben Chilwell and Marc Cucurella. The latter, Cucurella, might get the nod this time given Chilwell's involvement at the San Siro.
Having Loftus-Cheek on the right reduces the options for the centre of midfield. Potter's trusted combination at the moment seems to be Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho, who were both exceptional on Tuesday. Conor Gallagher looked bright in his cameo against Milan, so he is also in with a shout.
Mason Mount picked up a minor thigh knock against Milan and was substituted at half-time in Italy. The 23-year-old had a scan on Saturday regarding the problem, which is thought to have been precautionary, so he will be assessed. Even if he is fit, maybe it's time to give him a rest. Mount is the only outfield player to have started every match under Potter.
Mount starting on the bench could pave the way for Kai Havertz, who has been in and out of the side recently. Raheem Sterling and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as the other attackers to start at Villa Park.
Predicted Chelsea XI: Kepa; Chalobah, Silva, Koulibaly; Loftus-Cheek, Kovacic, Jorginho, Cucurella; Havertz, Sterling, Aubameyang.
Let us know if you agree with our predicted XI in the comments section down below!
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