Cucurella To Keep His Place, Badiashile And Mudryk On The Bench: Chelsea’s Predicted XI To Take On Leicester
Chelsea’s win over Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night could well be the turning point in Graham Potter’s tenure in charge but we will need to see the Blues build on that fantastic result.
They face a Leicester side this weekend who have lost four games in a row, including a home defeat to a Championship side in the FA Cup, and a loss to relegation-threatened Southampton.
Brendan Rodgers’ team are, therefore, not in good shape so it should be the perfect opportunity for Chelsea to capitalise at the King Power Stadium.
Press the next page as we predict the Blues’ starting lineup for the game on Saturday.
GK – Kepa Arrizabalaga
The 28-year-old made a number of really good saves against Dortmund, with the finger-tip stop from Marco Reus’s freekick the highlight.
With Edouard Mendy closing in on a return to fitness, Kepa knows he has to be on his game to keep his place in the starting lineup.
If he maintains his performance level from the Dortmund match, though, he should have no problems staying as the number one.
RWB – Reece James
The defender has yet to hit his stride since returning from injury, and the knock that kept him from playing against Leeds last weekend certainly didn’t help matters.
James was decent enough against Dortmund, without really standing out, but he was accurate with his passing and he didn’t make any mistakes.
Fans are, however, keenly anticipating the wingback getting back to his best in the not-too-distant future.
CB – Wesley Fofana
The Frenchman has hardly put a foot wrong since being reintroduced into the starting lineup and that is some achievement considering how long he was out with a knee injury.
Fofana has pace to burn and he is pretty good in the air too, going by how well he dealt with Borussia Dortmund’s Sebastien Haller midweek.
While many have debated the amount that Chelsea paid for the 22-year-old, he could be well worth the price if, of course, he can stay fit.
CB – Kalidou Koulibaly
The switch to a back three has really benefited the Senegalese international, who did everything asked of him on Tuesday night.
Koulibaly did his defensive duties without fuss, and he distributed the ball accurately. If we are to nitpick, he could have scored with an early chance against Dortmund.
Other than that, there can be no complaints. Whether he’ll stay in the team once Thiago Silva is back fit, though, is another matter.
CB – Marc Cucurella
The Spaniard has had a really hard time of it since arriving from Brighton in the summer but he showed all of his qualities midweek.
At his best, Cucurella is superb at pressing and giving opposition forwards very little space, and we saw that versus Dortmund.
Whether he’ll ever live up to his £62m price tag, it is unlikely, but he deserves to retain his place if he keeps putting in the same level of performances.
LWB – Ben Chilwell
The 26-year-old has been integral to Chelsea’s last two victories against Leeds and Dortmund. He provided the assist for Wesley Fofana’s goal last weekend, as well as playing key roles in Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz’s goals on Tuesday.
Chilwell is excelling in the left wingback role, and supporters will now be hoping that he can put a long run of matches together without suffering another injury setback.
He will be returning to his previous club this weekend, and he will be keen to get one over his old teammates.
CM – Mateo Kovacic
The Croatian did give the ball away far too often in the early stages against Dortmund but he began to find his feet as the match wore on.
Potter would be wise to keep Kovacic alongside Enzo Fernandez for another game so they can build an understanding with other.
There will be a temptation to rotate following the midweek fixture but building momentum is crucial and changing the starting lineup would not be helpful.
CM – Enzo Fernandez
The Argentinian international is already becoming a key player, which you would expect from a £106m signing.
However, Fernandez is not just standing out in terms of his ability, he is already demanding the ball from his teammates and becoming a leader in the middle of the pitch.
Having someone like Fernandez as an out ball is so important. It helps the team keep possession and dictate the tempo of the game.
RW – Raheem Sterling
We predicted before the Dortmund game that it was only a matter of time before the 28-year-old got on the scoresheet and he duly delivered on Tuesday evening.
Sterling’s all-round play wasn’t necessarily the greatest, but he was always a threat, demonstrated by the two chances early on where he was flagged for offside.
His opening goal was taken with the poise of an experienced player, who made the right decision at the right moment.
ST – Kai Havertz
The German was at his very best against Dortmund, holding up the ball and causing trouble for the opposing defence all evening.
The infuriating thing about Havertz is that we know that he has these sorts of performances in him but we simply don’t see enough of them.
Hopefully the forward will take confidence from it and carry this form into the match at the King Power on Saturday afternoon.
LW – Joao Felix
It’s becoming a theme with the Portuguese forward; starting brightly before fading badly in the second half.
We have yet to see a consistent 90 minutes from Felix since he arrived at Stamford Bridge and, if he wants to remain a Blue beyond the summer, he has to do more.
The 23-year-old does create chances for others, though, and you would expect him to keep his place for this weekend’s game.