Charlie Nicholas does not believe Chelsea will get the three points against Southampton this afternoon as he thinks the Frank Lampard’s young squad may be weighed down by the fixture schedule.

The Blues have had four days since their last game versus Lille in the Champions League, and Nicholas feels that the lack of rest may lead to some inconsistent performances:

“Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham have been praised, and rightly so. Abraham has earned his first England call-up, rightly so too. Chelsea are sitting in seventh which is acceptable – it is tight at the moment.”

“It will be a season full of ups and downs for the Blues and with lots of games coming up for their youngsters, it may just take its toll on occasions.”

The Sky Sports pundit is going for a 1-1 draw, which is a surprise considering Southampton have the worst home record in the Premier League at the moment.

They have lost to Liverpool and Bournemouth at St Mary’s already this season, but they did share the spoils with Manchester United back in August.

Even so, one point from three doesn’t suggest that Chelsea should have too much to worry about. If the Blues can keep things tight defensively, they have a very good chance of getting the victory.