There are some big and tough decisions for Graham Potter to make in what will be his first Premier League match as Chelsea head coach.
The Blues take on London rivals Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday afternoon in their first Premier League match in close to a month. Potter is tasked with some tough decisions regarding his team selection after not playing a competitive game in about two-and-a-half weeks.
Potter confirmed in Friday's pre-match press conference that Edouard Mendy, N'Golo Kante, Marc Cucurella and Carney Chukwuemeka will all not be available for selection. Mendy is struggling with a knee problem, while Kante is still recovering from a hamstring injury that has seen him sidelined since August, and Cucurella and Chukwuemeka are both ill.
READ MORE: Every word Graham Potter said on N'Golo Kante, Marc Cucurella, Chelsea change and Crystal Palace
"NG [Kante] has just been on the grass with the team but not in full training," Potter said. "Eddie [Mendy] is a bit further on but hasn't had enough to be involved at the weekend, really, so maybe next week for him. A bit of illness for Marc Cucurella and Carney, apart from that, everybody is fit."
So with the news of four Chelsea players missing for selection, football.london's Blues writers Bobby Vincent and Scott Trotter have done their best at predicting what sort of team Potter will choose on Saturday.
Bobby Vincent
As far as predicting a Chelsea line-up goes, this one feels like a particularly difficult one to choose. We have information based on one game from Potter – the 1-1 draw with Red Bull Salzburg over two weeks ago – so there's not too much to go on.
Kepa Arrizabalaga will be the goalkeeper with Mendy still missing because of a knee problem. The back-line is a tricky one to choose. We saw Potter go with Cesar Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva and Cucurella against Salzburg, however that won't be possible this time with the latter ill.
Wesley Fofana could return to the side in place of Azpilicueta, while Kalidou Koulibaly could slot in on the left-hand side of a back-three in place of Cucurella. That's what I'll be going for – meaning Azpilicueta and Trevoh Chalobah will miss out at Selhurst Park.
If Potter plays a midfield five again, then Reece James could play as the right wing-back, with Raheem Sterling – who scored in the draw with Salzburg – as a left wing-back again. A midfield three could consist of Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount and Jorginho.
As far as the strikers go, Potter could be tempted to choose Armando Broja alongside Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. However, I think Kai Havertz, who was in-form for Germany over the international break, will be given the nod.
Bobby's XI: Kepa; James, Fofana, Silva, Koulibaly, Sterling; Mount, Jorginho, Kovacic; Havertz, Aubameyang.
Scott Trotter
With such little time to work with his Chelsea squad since taking over as boss, Potter is left with no easy task to select his XI against Crystal Palace. The distance players have travelled and the output they've made during the international break will all come into play.
With Mendy still continuing his return to fitness, Kepa will start in net and I'd be inclined to place Chalobah in front of him given the extra days he's had with his coach. With Cucurella returning from illness, Potter may opt for more traditional central defenders leaving Fofana and Koulibaly competing for a place alongside Silva should he return in good condition.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek's time at Cobham should serve him well, with Mount and Jorginho making up the midfield. On this occasion I would start Sterling in a forward position in partnership with Aubameyang. We could often see Sterling how he was utilised against Salzburg but with the England international unlikely to have the support of Cucurella, it's an ideal time for Ben Chilwell to remind us all what he can do from wing-back.
Scott's XI: Kepa; Chalobah, Silva, Fofana; James, Jorginho, Loftus-Cheek, Chilwell, Mount; Sterling, Aubameyang.
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