Silva, Aubameyang And Chilwell To Start, Pulisic And Cucurella Drop To The Bench: Chelsea’s Predicted XI To Face Milan

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2 years ago

Categories: Chelsea News, Galleries, Match Previews

Tags: AC Milan, Ben Chilwell, Chelsea, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Thiago Silva

Chelsea manager Graham Potter is likely to ring the changes for the Champions League clash against AC Milan this evening.

After rotating his squad for the 3-0 win versus Wolves at the weekend, Potter could decide to go back to the team that secured a comfortable home victory over Milan in the first fixture last week.

That would also mean returning to three at the back, after Potter chose what was ostensibly a four-man defence on Saturday, but it can be difficult to guess what formation the Blues boss will pick.

Press the next page as we predict who will be in the starting lineup for Chelsea tonight.

GK – Kepa Arrizabalaga

The Spaniard looks to have established himself as the club’s new number one, after being selected ahead of Mendy for the second consecutive match at the weekend.

Kepa’s distribution seems to be what has given him the edge in the battle to be first choice, but there are still question marks about his shot-stopping.

RWB – Reece James

The 22-year-old was rested for the Wolves clash due to a dead leg, but he will be keen to pick up from where he left off after an excellent display against Milan at Stamford Bridge.

James may well have to do more defensive work at the San Siro, but he has already shown that he can handle the Rossoneri’s star player Rafael Leao.

CB – Trevoh Chalobah

Fofana’s knee injury has offered Chalobah an unlikely avenue back into the starting eleven. He was solid enough against Wolves and he could start this evening as well if Potter goes with a back three.

Captain Cesar Azpilicueta would be the alternative, with the Spaniard offering more experience, but Chalobah deserves to be given a shot in the centre of defence.

CB – Thiago Silva

The 38-year-old is in training after he was omitted from the matchday squad last weekend due to illness. He should have no issues playing the full 90 minutes tonight.

Silva played in Milan for three years before joining Paris Saint-Germain so he will be very familiar with the stadium and the atmosphere generated by the Rossoneri supporters.

CB – Kalidou Koulibaly

The 31-year-old was handed his second successive start on Saturday and he looks to be gradually regaining his confidence after some shaky early season performances.

Koulibaly has played many times at the San Siro during his time at Napoli, and he has won on his last two visits to the stadium.

LWB – Ben Chilwell

Potter wanted to give the fullback a rest at the weekend, but you would back him to be recalled this evening, with Cucurella taking his place on the bench.

Chilwell does need to offer a bit more in the final third than he did in the first game versus Milan but he is generally pretty reliable going forward.

CM – Ruben Loftus-Cheek

With N’Golo Kante not expected to be back in action soon, Loftus-Cheek does have a big opportunity to stake his claim for regular starts in Chelsea’s midfield.

The 26-year-old wasn’t particularly great against Wolves on Saturday but it does appear as if he is ahead of the likes of Jorginho and Denis Zakaria in the pecking order at the moment.

CM – Mateo Kovacic

The Croatian will almost certainly be recalled to the lineup after Jorginho took his place in the eleven at the weekend. While his passing is certainly not up to the Italian’s standards, he does offer other traits that Potter values.

Kovacic is press-resistant, meaning he can hold onto the ball in tight areas, and his ability to run with the ball is ideal for playing in transition. Both of those qualities will be needed at the San Siro.

RW – Mason Mount

The 23-year-old seems to be playing his way into form. He got two assists versus Wolves; the cross for Kai Havertz’s opener and the excellent reverse through ball for Pulisic to make it 2-0.

Mount still hasn’t gotten off the mark himself so far this season, and he will be keen to get that monkey off his back as soon as possible.

ST- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

All of a sudden, there is a lot of competition for the no.9 role, after both Havertz and Armando Broja got on the scoresheet on Saturday.

Aubameyang seems to be the man that Potter wants to lead the line in the big games at the moment, though, so he is expected to start tonight.

LW – Raheem Sterling

It may be harsh to drop Christian Pulisic after he scored at the weekend, but Sterling’s consistency will likely keep him above the American in the pecking order for now.

Sterling should be able to exploit the space on the counter-attack, with Milan likely to leave some gaps as the Serie A champions push for a win.