Silva, Cucurella, Jorginho And Broja To Start, Koulibaly And Aubameyang Out: Chelsea’s Predicted XI To Play Fulham

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2 years ago

Categories: Chelsea News, Galleries, Match Previews

Tags: Armando Broja, Chelsea, jorginho, Marc Cucurella, Thiago Silva

After Chelsea officially announced the appointment of Graham Potter, it looks as though he will be on the touchline when the Blues take on Fulham at Craven Cottage.

The new manager may only get one training session with his new team ahead of the lunchtime kickoff this weekend so it will be tough for him to have an immediate impact.

Potter will likely be ringing changes for the Fulham game, especially after the abject 1-0 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday evening.

Press the next page as we predict Chelsea’s possible starting lineup for the match.

GK – Kepa Arrizabalaga

Despite the defeat in Croatia, the Spaniard did little wrong on his return to the starting eleven. He actually made a couple of decent saves, and couldn’t be faulted for Mislav Orsic’s goal.

Kepa should be given another chance versus Fulham to stake his claim to be a regular starter; especially as Edouard Mendy’s form has been so poor.

RWB – Reece James

Thomas Tuchel seemed to be keener on using the England international as a centre-half in a back three but you’d expect he’ll be used exclusively as a wingback/fullback from now on following the German’s departure.

James’s pace, strength and crossing ability make him perfectly suited to marauding up and down the right flank for the Blues.

CB – Wesley Fofana

The way the £75m signing was done for pace by Orsic midweek was concerning, but the Frenchman won’t be deployed in the middle of a back three again anytime soon.

With Silva playing alongside him, you would hope that Fofana learns a lot from one of the best defenders in the game.

CB – Thiago Silva

The Brazilian’s leadership and defensive nous were badly missed in Zagreb, so there is no doubt that he will be recalled after being rested for the midweek fixture.

Silva had a strong relationship with Tuchel so it will be interesting to see how he reacts to the German’s sacking. He is a consummate professional so he will give 100% regardless of who is in charge.

CB – Marc Cucurella

Potter used the Spaniard regularly as a left-sided centre-back for Brighton and there is a strong possibility that he will deploy him in the same position at Chelsea.

Cucurella could come back into the team in place of Kalidou Koulibaly this weekend, with the Senegalese international still struggling to adapt to a back three.

LWB – Ben Chilwell

The left-back didn’t back up his excellent cameo against West Ham last week in Croatia. He did show some quality by getting in behind Dinamo’s defence for Pierre-Emerick Aubemeyang’s disallowed goal, but he was marginally offside.

It will be interesting to see whether either Chilwell or Cucurella ends up being first choice on the left flank. Both possess different qualities so it may be the case that the pair are rotated on a regular basis.

CM – Mateo Kovacic

One of the few players who could hold their head up high after the disappointing defeat on Tuesday. The midfielder’s ability to hold on to the ball in tight spaces and make forward runs is a useful attribute.

At Brighton, Potter had a similar player in Yves Bissouma so Kovacic may get a lot of game time if he can stay fit.

CM – Jorginho

Selecting Mason Mount in a deeper role against Dinamo Zagreb simply didn’t work, so expect Jorginho to be recalled at Craven Cottage, despite not being in the greatest form.

Jorginho has put in some good performances this season (such as against Tottenham) but we need to see more consistency in his passing against Fulham.

RW – Mason Mount

Hakim Ziyech was awful after coming on for the second half against Dinamo and, while Christian Pulisic may be the obvious alternative to the Moroccan, it’s likely that Mount will keep his place despite struggling so far this campaign.

If the midfielder doesn’t pick up his form soon, though, he may have to be dropped to the bench for a long spell.

CF – Armando Broja

Aubameyang is not 100% fit at the moment due to his facial injury, and Broja has impressed off the bench so he does deserve to be handed his first start for the Blues.

Kai Havertz would be the other option, although the German did not impress out in Croatia, so he will probably be a substitute this weekend.

LW – Raheem Sterling

The 27-year-old had a difficult evening in Zagreb. He worked hard but the lack of service meant he wasn’t really in the game.

As one of the better performing forwards this season, though, Sterling is unlikely to be dropped anytime soon, unless there is a change of formation.