Kante, Pulisic And Aubameyang To Start, Sterling And Havertz Out: Chelsea’s Predicted XI To Play Real Madrid

The 1-0 defeat to Wolves means Frank Lampard’s start to his second stint in charge of Chelsea hasn’t exactly gone to plan.

Things won’t get any easier when the Blues travel to the Bernabeu for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie against Real Madrid on Wednesday night.

Their opponents also suffered a shock loss to Villarreal at the weekend but Carlo Ancelotti’s team always seem to save their best performances for European games.

Press the next page as we predict Chelsea’s starting lineup to take on Real.

GK – Kepa Arrizabalaga

It was actually surprising that Lampard didn’t recall Edouard Mendy to the starting eleven for the Wolves game.

Considering he wasn’t exactly a fan of Kepa during his first spell in charge, his selection in goal at Molineux did raise a few eyebrows.

The Spaniard could do nothing to stop Matheus Nunes’s winner on Saturday so there isn’t a reason for the keeper to be dropped.

RB – Reece James

The fullback grew into the game against Wolves, and put some decent crosses into the box testing the home side’s defence.

You do feel that James still has a few gears to go up yet and it will be hoped that he can put in a dominant display at the Bernabeu.

The 23-year-old will be going up against Vinicius Jnr so he will need to be at his best to keep a handle on the irrepressible Brazilian.

CB – Wesley Fofana

The Chelsea goal came under a lot of pressure at times at Molineux but Fofana was up to the task, for the most part.

Fofana handled Diego Costa very well and he feels just as much at home in a back four as he does in a back three.

While the centre-back did cost £70m, the fee could well be worth it if he continues this form and remains free of injury.

CB – Kalidou Koulibaly

The Senegalese international did plenty of the basics well against Wolves, making clearances and sticking his head in when required.

However, when the game got stretched with Chelsea looking for an equaliser in the second half, Koulibaly looked a lot less comfortable.

With Thiago Silva closing in on a return to full fitness, the Brazilian will almost certainly return to the starting eleven in place of Koulibaly.

LB – Ben Chilwell

It was slightly surprising to see the England international named on the bench by Lampard for his first game, considering how well the fullback has been playing in recent months.

With the game against Real coming up, Chilwell may simply have been rested and you would expect him to start ahead of Marc Cucurella at the Bernabeu.

Like Vinicius on the opposite flank, Rodrygo can be a tricky customer, although he is usually a lot less deadly.

CM – N’Golo Kante

Lampard confirmed after the loss to Wolves that Kante wasn’t included in the matchday squad as his fitness needs to be managed correctly.

After his outstanding performance against Liverpool, it is easy to forget that the Frenchman had spent the best part of seven months sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Having been rested for the trip to Molineux, it will be hoped that Kante is fit and firing for the clash against Real.

CM – Enzo Fernandez

The Argentine had one of his least effective games on Saturday, and he barely made an impact on proceedings.

Fernandez did make some neat passes, but there was a lack of control in the middle of the pitch and he struggled to get a foothold in the game.

The Blues will need the 22-year-old at his best if they are to get a result against Real, particularly as he will be going up against the likes of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos.

CM – Mateo Kovacic

The Croatian lacked his usual composure on the ball versus Wolves at the weekend, which is a big concern.

Kovacic made a number of fouls and his passing accuracy was pretty low and it could be argued that he should be the one to make way for Kante instead of Conor Gallagher.

The England international was a lot more positive in possession than his teammate, but Lampard may well go with Kovacic’s experience, especially at the Bernabeu.

RW – Christian Pulisic

Raheem Sterling struggled badly against Wolves and, with the number of options that Lampard has in wide areas, he can afford to change things.

Pulisic didn’t make much of an impact after coming on at the weekend, but his ability to pick up the ball and run at defenders could be key.

Real are lacking a natural left-back, with both Ferland Mendy and David Alaba injured, so it could be worth putting the American on the right flank to see what he can do.

ST – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Kai Havertz did next to nothing versus Wolves and his lack of inconsistency would test the patience of any manager.

While the German has looked decent in European games, where the pace is slower, Lampard may still want to change things up.

Aubameyang did get some minutes off the bench on Saturday so why not give the former Arsenal striker a chance from the start to see what he can do?

LW – Joao Felix

The Portuguese international was probably Chelsea’s best forward in the defeat to Wolves so he is likely to keep his place on Wednesday.

Felix started on the left flank at Molineux so you would expect Lampard to keep him there for the clash against Real.

We shall see if the 23-year-old can provide the cutting-edge necessary in the final third of the pitch.