Chelsea suffered their eighth league defeat of the season against Wolves at the weekend and the mood around the club is unsurprisingly pretty low at the moment.
The fact that Christopher Nkunku scored on his Premier League debut lifted spirits somewhat but sitting 10th in the table as we near the midway point of the season is not what anyone was expecting when Mauricio Pochettino took over as manager in the summer.
Injuries and suspensions are certainly not helping matters but the Chelsea boss is already beginning to lose sections of the fanbase. He needs to turn things around over the coming weeks.
Press the next page as we predict the starting lineup for Chelsea’s game against Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.
Goalkeeper and Defence
GK – Djordje Petrovic – The Serbian performed well at Molineux, both in terms of his shot-stopping and coming out to clear the ball. Robert Sanchez may find it tough getting back into the starting lineup.
RB – Malo Gusto – With Reece James out of contention and Axel Disasi not exactly in great form, you would expect the 20-year-old to keep his place on the right flank. He’s strong going forward but he needs to work on a few things defensively.
CB – Thiago Silva – – Gave away possession in a dangerous area against Wolves but, unlike the Newcastle game, it didn’t lead to a goal this time. He is still the team’s best fit centre-back though.
CB – Benoit Badiashile – His mistake led to Wolves’ second goal but his teammate Disasi is struggling just as badly. It’s a coin toss who Pochettino will pick for the Palace fixture.
LB – Levi Colwill – You do feel that the 20-year-old would be more comfortable at centre-half, but it looks like he will continue on the left-hand side of defence until Ben Chilwell is ready to start games again.
Midfield
CM – Moises Caicedo – After missing the trip to Molineux due to a virus, it will be hoped that the Ecuadorian is available for selection on Wednesday.
With Enzo Fernandez and Carney Chukwuemeka both injured, and Romeo Lavia still not match fit, there aren’t many other options in the middle of the park.
CM – Lesly Ugochukwu – – The Frenchman put in a decent performance against Wolves. He was by no means the worst player on the pitch at Molineux. Another start against Palace is expected unless Pochettino plays Gallagher deeper again.
AM – Conor Gallagher – There is a chance that Nkunku will play in the most advanced central midfield role, but he is likely to be needed further up the pitch. Gallagher may be handed the no.10 position instead, especially if Caicedo is back available.
Forwards
RW – Christopher Nkunku – With Cole Palmer and Raheem Sterling both suspended and Noni Madueke seemingly out of favour, the Frenchman’s first start may come on the right wing.
Although it may be a bit of a risk starting him after so many months out, his excellent performance off the bench against Wolves means he deserves to be given at least 60 minutes versus Palace.
CF – Armando Broja – The Albanian wasn’t much better than Nicolas Jackson versus Wolves but he can hold up the ball and there is a good chance he will work well in tandem with Nkunku.
LW – Mykhailo Mudryk – With Sterling sidelined, the Ukrainian will get another chance to impress on the left flank. Whether he will take his opportunity, though, is another matter.
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