Felix, Chilwell And Kovacic To Start, Havertz And Cucurella On The Bench: Chelsea’s Predicted XI To Face West Ham

After last week’s disappointing 0-0 draw against Fulham, the pressure is mounting on Chelsea manager Graham Potter to get results.

The Blues were pretty blunt in attack versus the Cottagers and it will be hoped that the return of Joao Felix will remedy that somewhat.

Potter has a wealth of attacking options available to him, in addition to Felix, and he needs to find the right combination quickly.

Press the next page as we go through Chelsea’s predicted XI for the game against West Ham this weekend.

GK – Kepa Arrizabalaga

The Spaniard only had a couple of saves to make against Fulham last time out.

Kepa pulled off an excellent stop to deny Andreas Pereira, while he was sharp and alert to prevent Aleksandar Mitrovic from scoring with an audacious attempt from the halfway line.

West Ham are likely to be on the front foot in the early stages so Kepa will need to be on his toes as he looks to keep a fourth clean sheet in a row.

RB – Reece James

It’s fair to say that the fullback had a solid if not spectacular return to the starting eleven versus Fulham.

James did get 60 minutes into his legs, though, which should hold him in good stead after being sidelined since the New Year.

The next step for him will be to offer more of a threat in the final third and, hopefully, we’ll see some of that at the London Stadium.

CB – Thiago Silva

The 38-year-old was again outstanding last Friday night, with the Blues now looking a lot more secure at the back in recent games.

There are reports that Silva has agreed to sign a contract extension, keeping him at Stamford Bridge for another year, which will be warmly welcomed by everyone at the club.

Michail Antonio can be a handful with his strength and pace, but you’d back Silva to use his experience to get the better of him.

CB – Benoit Badiashile

The Frenchman has been one of the key reasons why Chelsea have had three consecutive defensive shutouts.

Badiashile may still be young at 21 years of age but he has Silva alongside him, which is invaluable in terms of having a mentor who can guide the centre-back through matches.

With Wesley Fofana now closing in on a return to full fitness, it will be interesting to see how Potter handles the situation, but Badiashile is the man in possession of the jersey at the moment.

LB – Ben Chilwell

Marc Cucurella didn’t put in a bad performance against Fulham but he really didn’t offer very much in terms of providing width and making overlaps in the final third of the pitch.

Chilwell did get some minutes against Fulham and he should be able to start against the Hammers, albeit he may not last the 90 minutes.

The fullback can provide an additional threat going forward and Potter is likely to favour him ahead of Cucurella in upcoming fixtures.

CM – Mateo Kovacic

The Croatian international is back available after recovering from a calf injury that has kept him out since the loss to Fulham at Craven Cottage last month.

Kovacic could well form a formidable partnership with Enzo Fernandez in the centre of the pitch, which could help them dominate the ball.

With West Ham expected to go with three at the back, Potter’s side may be able to outnumber the Irons in midfield, allowing Kovacic to play a key role in possession.

CM – Enzo Fernandez

Although some fans were going slightly overboard with the Argentine’s first appearance, he did play pretty well on his debut last week.

Fernandez is an all-action midfielder, making tackles and interceptions, whilst being very useful in possession as well.

It will be the 21-year-old’s first experience of a proper London derby this weekend so it will be interesting to see how he gets on.

AM -Mason Mount

There is a case to be made for utilising Joao Felix or Kai Havertz as the number 10 at the London Stadium but Potter may play it conservatively.

Mount has been in pretty awful form but his work rate is a notch or two above the likes of Felix and Havertz and that could be enough for him to get the nod.

The 24-year-old does need to be a lot more effective on the ball, so a goal or assist against the Hammers wouldn’t go amiss.

RW – Raheem Sterling

Noni Madueke did look impressive after coming off the bench versus Fulham, but Sterling may well be handed a start ahead of the 20-year-old.

The England international’s experience in a difficult away game will probably be what swings things in his favour.

Sterling has only just returned from an injury so Potter could give him 60 minutes, with Madueke being given the final half-hour to make an impression.

ST – Joao Felix

There has been some debate over whether Potter should use the Portuguese international as a false nine. He may not have much choice considering the other options available.

Kai Havertz is in poor form, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could move to the MLS, while David Datro Fofana lacks the experience to lead the line in a derby.

If Sterling also starts, there could be a case for both Felix and him to swap positions to give West Ham’s defence something to think about.

LW – Mykhailo Mudryk

There were eyebrows raised when the Ukrainian was substituted at halftime against Fulham but it later transpired he had a cold.

Why Potter decided to start Mudryk, considering he knew he wasn’t 100%, is anyone’s guess but he seems to be ready to face the Hammers, based on this week’s training pictures.

With his pace and dribbling ability, he should be able to cause West Ham’s Vladimir Coufal all sorts of problems.

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