Chelsea will look to reclaim their third spot in the league table when they host Leicester City at Stamford Bridge in a couple of hours. Following a disappointing defeat against Tottenham Hotspur last month, the Blues have fared well, winning three of their four league matches and a win could be imperative this weekend as they aim to overtake the Lilywhites.
Chelsea team news
Andreas Christensen has been sidelined with a hamstring injury so he will miss out against Leicester City along with Gary Cahill, who also suffered a knock. Victor Moses and Alvaro Morata are doubtful to feature.
Predicted Chelsea lineup vs Leicester City
Defence
Cesar Azpilicueta will retain his position in the right-back slot but we could expect Maurizio Sarri to bring back Marcos Alonso into the starting eleven. The Spaniard will replace Emerson in the left-back slot.
Azpilicueta will be tasked with the responsibility of stopping Demarai Gray on the right-hand side while Alonso will look to exploit the Leicester defence by making his signature runs forward.
David Luiz will replace the injured Christensen at the heart of the Chelsea backline. He will be partnered by Antonio Rudiger and the duo will play a key role in defence, having already mustered over 120 clearances between them this season.
Kepa Arrizabalaga will be the man between the sticks for Chelsea as he searches for his ninth clean sheet in the league.
Midfield
Following a tedious game against Bournemouth, Sarri will reshuffle the midfield pack with N’Golo Kante and Jorginho expected to return to the starting eleven. They will be joined by Mateo Kovacic at the base of Chelsea’s 4-3-3. Kovacic played the full 90 minutes against the Cherries but will hope to retain his place.
Kante leads the team in interceptions and his excellent work-ethic will be crucial against his former club while Jorginho’s composure and technique will be important as the Blues look to dominate the opposition midfield.
Kovacic, on the other hand, will be looking to move forward at every opportunity.
Attack
The likely absence of Morata will allow Olivier Giroud to lead the Chelsea line this weekend. The Frenchman has been terribly out of favour this season, scoring only one goal in 14 appearances and therefore, he will be eager to find the back of the net against Leicester.
Giroud will be supported by the wide-duo of Willian and Eden Hazard, who was named as one of the three best attackers in the Premier League so far, in my earlier article.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored
