Jackson And Sterling To Start, Mudryk Out: Chelsea’s Predicted XI To Take On Burnley

Chelsea’s win over Fulham on Monday evening offered us more signs that this team is moving in the right direction under manager Mauricio Pochettino.

The away side were fully deserving of the three points at Craven Cottage and they will be keen to carry that form into the fixture against Burnley this weekend.

It won’t be an easy game at Turf Moor, with the Clarets having just broken their duck, by winning their first league game of the season earlier this week. You would still, however, back Pochettino’s team to get the better of their next opponents.

Press the next page as we predict Chelsea’s starting lineup to face Burnley on Saturday afternoon.

GK – Robert Sanchez

The Spaniard does seem to be growing into his role as Chelsea’s number one.

Sanchez didn’t have a lot to do at Craven Cottage, but he was sharp enough to save Sasa Lukic’s shot with his legs in the second half, which was the home side’s only real chance of the game.

The keeper’s passing still leaves a lot to be desired and he, once again, nearly got his team into trouble with a poor pass directly to one of his opponents.

Despite those 2 notable incidents, though, it was a pretty quiet evening for Sanchez. He may be tested slightly more at Turf Moor.

RB – Marc Cucurella

Pochettino continues to select the £62m defender out of position but the player is sticking to his task diligently.

Cucurella kept Willian quiet for the most part, and he put himself in the right positions to make clearances when Fulham delivered crosses into the box.

The former Brighton player does, however, struggle to get forward, as he is having to play predominantly on his weaker right foot.

With Reece James being given a one-match ban, and Malo Gusto still suspended, Cucurella is expected to keep his place against Burnley.

CB – Axel Disasi

The Frenchman has been quietly improving as the weeks have gone on and, despite there being some pressure to move Levi Colwill centrally alongside Thiago Silva, Pochettino has kept faith with Disasi.

Two clean sheets in a row against Brighton and Fulham suggest that the Blues are making progress defensively, and Disasi is certainly one of the reasons for that.

The centre-back did have a battle on his hands to keep Raul Jimenez quiet on Monday night but, despite being a tricky customer, the Fulham striker didn’t get a lot of joy before being subbed just 5 minutes after halftime.

Disasi and Silva will both be disappointed with how Sasa Lukic ghosted in behind but, luckily, Sanchez was on hand to pull off a save.

CB – Thiago Silva

The 39-year-old had a decent game against Fulham but, it must be said, that neither he nor Disasi were tested that often by their opponents.

Burnley will definitely cause more problems for Silva and the rest of the back four, with the likes of Lyle Foster, Luca Koleosho and Zeki Amdouni all being a handful.

If the defence gets the same level of protection as they got against Fulham, though, they will have a good chance of keeping Burnley’s dangerous front three quiet.

With Silva’s experience as well, the Brazilian should get the better of Foster, who lacks game time at the highest level.

LB – Levi Colwill

The defender has shown his flexibility at the start of this season. Some have felt that Pochettino wasn’t getting the best out of him by playing him as a fullback.

However, against Fuham, Colwill showed that he can perform well if asked to play there, delivering an excellent assist for Mykhailo Mudryk’s opening goal.

You do feel that he will have bigger tests in the future defensively, as Harry Wilson didn’t really cause that many problems.

With Ben Chilwell now sidelined for a couple of months with a hamstring injury, Colwill may find himself playing left-back for an extended period.

CM – Moises Caicedo

The Ecuadorian is a slight doubt for the trip to Turf Moor, having picked up a knock in the closing stages of the win against Fulham.

However, all the indications do suggest that Caicedo will be ready to start this weekend, and that’s a major positive after he delivered an excellent display on Monday night.

With Conor Gallagher and Enzo Fernandez both being asked to get forward to support Armando Broja, Caicedo was tasked with protecting the back four.

The 21-year-old did his job diligently, as well as playing an important part in the opening goal, with his diagonal ball finding Colwill before the defender crossed for Mudryk to slot the ball home.

CM – Enzo Fernandez

The Argentinian international has yet to find his shooting boots, and there were definitely a couple of occasions on Monday where he should have done better with the opportunities that were presented to him.

However, playing in a slightly deeper role at Craven Cottage, Fernandez was in his element, orchestrating play in the middle of the pitch and linking up play.

The trio of Caicedo, Fernandez and Gallagher were key to securing the 3 points versus Fulham and you’d expect Pochettino to keep faith with the three of them on Saturday.

They could dominate Burnley’s midfield, who don’t possess the same level of quality.

AM – Conor Gallagher

The 23-year-old fully deserved his Player of the Match award against the Cottagers. He wore the captain’s armband and took the responsibility to heart.

Gallagher was pretty much everywhere, making tackles, linking up play, and breaking forward into the box to support Broja.

He didn’t get the goal or assist that his play deserved but the midfielder pretty much did everything else. Pochettino has started Gallagher in every league match so far this campaign and you are beginning to see why.

The England international will be hoping to build on that display versus Burnley this weekend.

RW – Cole Palmer

The summer signing put in another classy performance against Fulham, and he set up Broja’s goal to make it 2-0.

Pochettino would probably have liked to have seen more from Palmer in the second half, and his substitution probably should have come earlier.

However, the playmaker did more than enough to keep his place in the starting eleven for another week.

With Noni Madueke and Raheem Sterling both now fit and healthy, though, Palmer knows he can’t rest on his laurels.

CF – Nicolas Jackson

Armando Broja did superbly on Monday evening and, while he got a bit lucky with his goal, with Tim Ream’s clearance deflecting off him into the back of the net, it was no more than he deserved.

The Albanian didn’t look like a player who had spent 10 months on the sidelines, linking up play and leading the line expertly. There was no sign of rustiness.

However, Broja did pick up cramp in the second half, and you can’t see him starting for the second time in 5 days.

With Jackson back from suspension, the Senegalese international is the favourite to start up front at Turf Moor.

LW – Raheem Sterling

Mykhailo Mudryk had to be substituted at half-time at Craven Cottage due to a thigh strain.

It’s a shame for the Ukrainian international, who has begun to pick up some momentum, especially after scoring his first goal for Chelsea.

It would, though, be a surprise if Mudryk is fit for Saturday, so you would expect Sterling to come in and take his place.

The 28-year-old has recovered from an illness that prevented him from starting against Fulham at the start of this week.