Madueke And Caicedo To Start, Gallagher On The Bench: Chelsea’s Predicted XI To Face Luton

While it could be argued that Chelsea were unlucky to be on the losing side against West Ham last weekend, ultimately the Blues lost to ten men.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino will be disappointed with the way his side conceded the three goals, as well as their profligacy at the other end of the pitch.

His team will be facing newly promoted Luton Town on Friday evening. The Hatters didn’t play last weekend, but they were thrashed 4-1 by Brighton in their first away fixture, so Chelsea will be strong favourites to secure the three points.

Press the next page as we predict the Blues’ starting lineup for the game at Stamford Bridge.

GK – Robert Sanchez

The Spaniard currently has a save percentage below 60% from his first two matches, which is a major concern.

It is too small of a sample size to make any definitive judgements but Sanchez needs to up his game if he wants to be the club’s long-term solution in goal.

Djordje Petrovic is expected to arrive from New England Revolution very soon so it will be hoped that the Serbian international can provide strong competition for the no.1 jersey.

You would expect that Sanchez will be in for a quiet evening against Luton anyway.

RWB – Malo Gusto

The Frenchman had a solid if not spectacular full debut against West Ham.

It was clear that Pochettino instructed Gusto to stay back and not venture too far forward at the London Stadium, which is surprising considering his strengths lie in the final third of the pitch.

Blues supporters will be hoping he can provide a lot more going forward on Friday evening, creating opportunities for the likes of Nicolas Jackson.

With captain Reece James expected to be out until the international break, Gusto needs to take his chance.

CB – Axel Disasi

The defender has now made two mistakes in two games, which is very worrying.

After failing to mark Luis Diaz for Liverpool’s goal in the opening fixture, Disasi then gave the ball away before Michail Antonio scored last weekend.

You do hope that the 25-year-old can cut out the errors. He is not exactly a youngster and should know better.

Against Luton, you wouldn’t expect Disasi to be tested too much but his main goal will be to put in a solid performance, free of mistakes.

CB – Thiago Silva

Unusually for the Brazilian veteran, he didn’t show much leadership at the back as the Hammers exposed the back four on the counter-attack.

Silva had three players alongside him in the backline who have limited experience in the Premier League, with Colwill the only one to have spent a season playing in the English top flight.

It means that the Blues are heavily reliant on Silva to provide the organisation in away fixtures, as well as to keep a cool head.

Unfortunately, the 38-year-old was found somewhat wanting at the London Stadium and he will be looking to improve on this performance on Friday night.

CB – Levi Colwill

It’s fair to say that the 20-year-old has looked pretty uncomfortable playing at left-back in his first two games.

In possession, Colwill has looked fine but, without the ball, his positioning has left a lot to be desired, with both Mo Salah and (to a lesser extent) Jarrod Bowen getting the better of him.

Pochettino may decide to end the experiment against Luton and move towards a more traditional back five.

There is a chance that Disasi could be dropped at some point, with Colwill forming a partnership with Silva.

LWB – Ben Chilwell

After being so effective on the left wing against Liverpool, the 26-year-old struggled to make the same impact against the Hammers.

Chilwell did have one chance which he missed with a header, but he is a defender at heart, so playing him so high up the pitch means you are not getting the best out of him.

The injury to Carney Chukwuemeka will likely force Pochettino into selecting a second winger against Luton.

That could see Chilwell move further back into a left wingback role; a position he is far more adept at.

CM – Moises Caicedo

Let’s not beat around the bush, the Ecuadorian had a disastrous debut against West Ham.

Caicedo was poor in possession and gave away a penalty with a needless challenge inside the box.

Of course, the midfielder’s time at Chelsea won’t be defined by this appearance, and he will be chomping at the bit to atone when he faces Luton.

It’s key for Caicedo to strike up a partnership with Enzo Fernandez and, hopefully, we’ll begin to see the pair combine effectively on Friday.

CM – Enzo Fernandez

After a man-of-the-match display versus Liverpool, the Argentine was far less effective versus the Irons.

Fernandez did show off his excellent passing range, but he didn’t really create any clear-cut chances for his teammates.

Of course, the penalty miss was the main negative from his performance. It was a weakly hit shot which was easily saved by Alphonse Areola.

Fernandez should, though, get a lot of time on the ball against Luton so expect another passing masterclass.

RW – Noni Madueke

Mykhailo Mudryk has not been seen in training this week, suggesting that the Ukrainian international could be having fitness problems.

With Chukwuemeka also sidelined for six weeks after picking up a knee injury against West Ham, Madueke is the likeliest candidate to come into the starting eleven.

The 21-year-old has had his own fitness issues heading into the season but he did get 15 minutes after coming on as a substitute last Sunday.

Madueke could, therefore, be handed his first start by Pochettino versus Luton.

CF – Nicolas Jackson

The Senegalese international has looked really impressive both in and out of possession in his first two matches for Chelsea.

At the London Stadium, Jackson was a constant menace for the Hammers’ defence, and he is clearly relishing leading the line for the Blues.

There are, however, still question marks about his finishing, which will linger until he scores his first competitive goal for the club.

Chelsea are desperate to find somebody who can hit the back of the net on a regular basis and, hopefully, it can be Jackson.

LW – Raheem Sterling

The 28-year-old arguably put in his best performance in a Chelsea shirt last weekend, and he will be very disappointed not to be on the winning side.

As Sterling said himself after the game, he is at his best when asked to dribble and run at opponents, putting them off balance.

The England international may need to switch wings to accommodate Madueke against Luton but he will be looking to continue from where he left off at West Ham when the Blues take on the Hatters.

Chelsea face Luton on Friday night. Find more about the Hatters and their journey from the non-league to the Premier League in this documentary.