Malo Gusto And Mykhailo Mudryk To Start; Conor Gallagher Dropped: Chelsea’s Predicted XI To Play Everton
Chelsea were simply not good enough against Sheffield United last weekend, and manager Mauricio Pochettino was left lamenting the team’s lack of maturity.
The Argentine said he didn’t think the Blues were prepared to compete with their opponents, which is a damning indictment of the squad’s mentality.
All is not lost, though, and a victory over Everton on Monday night would close the gap to Manchester United, Newcastle and West Ham above them in the table.
Press the next page as we predict Chelsea’s starting lineup for the match at Stamford Bridge.
Goalkeeper and Defence
GK – Djordje Petrovic – the Serbian will be disappointed with his performance at Bramall Lane. However, with Robert Sanchez still on the sidelines with illness, he is not at risk of losing his place for now.
RB – Malo Gusto – the Blues badly missed the Frenchman’s forays forward on the right flank last weekend but he should be back to face Everton, having returned to training this week.
CB – Thiago Silva – With Gusto back, it may indicate that Axel Disasi will be moved centrally but the Frenchman hasn’t been in great form recently. Keeping Silva in the starting eleven would, therefore, make sense.
CB – Trevoh Chalobah – the match against the Blades was probably the worst since he returned from injury but he is still a better centre-back than either Benoit Badiashile or Disasi.
LB – Ben Chilwell – the vice-captain should be in contention to play after recovering from illness. If he is fit enough to start, he could replace Marc Cucurella on the left-hand side of defence.
Midfield
CM – Moises Caicedo – the Ecuadorian has not lived up to expectations so far. He continues to work hard playing as the lone holding midfield player but he has struggled to dominate games.
For a player that cost £115m, that really isn’t great. Of course, Caicedo can’t control what fee was paid for him but he hasn’t even managed to match the performances he showed during his time at Brighton.
CM – Enzo Fernandez – the Argentinian international has admitted this week that he hasn’t been able to replicate his best form since arriving at Stamford Bridge. Fans would 100% agree with that statement.
AM – Cole Palmer – the 21-year-old does look less comfortable as a no.10 but, with Christopher Nkunku injured, and Conor Gallagher not offering much in the way of creativity, Palmer is the logical alternative.
Forwards
RW – Noni Madueke – the winger produced a moment of brilliance at Bramall Lane and it should be enough for him to keep his place for the Everton fixture. One of the big frustrations fans have with the player is that he has all the talent in the world but he doesn’t always make the right decisions in possession.
CF – Nicolas Jackson – the 22-year-old went missing against Sheffield United and that has happened too many times this season. He needs to find some consistency in his game or he will replaced as the club’s no.9 sooner rather than later.
LW – Mykhailo Mudryk – the Ukrainian has looked sharp since the international break and you do feel that he deserves to have an extended run of games to see what he can do.
With Raheem Sterling struggling for fitness and form as well, there is an opening on the left-side of the front three. Mudryk needs to take his opportunity with both hands.