Chelsea will host Southampton at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Saturday, as Thomas Tuchel seeks an immediate response to their Champions League defeat to Juventus.
The Blues endured a 1-0 defeat for the second straight game after being undone by a Federico Chiesa-inspired Juventus in Turin in the Champions League on Wednesday. This came following their 1-0 loss to Manchester City in the Premier League at the weekend.
After back-to-back underwhelming displays, Thomas Tuchel will expect his boys to put in a better performance and get three points against a tricky Southampton side on Saturday.
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Christian Pulisic has been out injured since picking up an ankle injury during the most recent international break and is likely to miss out again. Reece James was forced off in the 1-0 defeat to Manchester City and Tuchel has already ruled him out of the Southampton game.
Mason Mount is fit once again and should return to the squad. N’Golo Kante had tested positive for Covid-19 before the Juventus game, subsequently ruling him out against the Saints.
Predicted Chelsea Lineup vs Southampton (3-4-2-1)
Goalkeeper
Edouard Mendy has been excellent since joining Chelsea from Rennes in 2020, establishing himself as the first-choice goalkeeper. He will certainly start on Saturday hoping to keep a clean sheet.
Defence
Thomas Tuchel has called for more freshness in the squad which might signal a number of changes with the German set to be ruthless as he seeks perfection.
We could see a backline of Cesar Azpilicueta, Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger. Thiago Silva might be handed a breather after two lengthy runouts in the last week. Trevoh Chalobah is another option if Azpilicueta is favoured at right wing-back.
Midfield
After recent impressive cameos, Callum Hudson-Odoi could be handed a start in the Chelsea lineup as the right wing-back.
There is considerable doubt on the opposite flank as well. Marcos Alonso has started each of the Premier League games this season but with Ben Chilwell up to speed now and the Spaniard’s levels dropping in the last week, the English left-back might well be handed a start in the Chelsea lineup.
With Kante testing positive for Covid-19, Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic will look to take control of the game as quickly as possible against a high-pressing Southampton side. The duo is expected to dominate the ball and create openings for the Blues’ flair players.
Saul is unlikely to be exposed to the Saints’ high press but Ruben Loftus-Cheek is a possible candidate to feature in midfield.
Attack
Romelu Lukaku has struggled to impose himself both against Manchester City and Juventus respectively, which will be a concern for Tuchel. Nevertheless, the big Belgian will be backed to get back his mojo against a shaky Southampton defence. He is a safe bet to lead Chelsea’s attack.
Behind him, we are likely to be a return for Mason Mount while Timo Werner could be handed a rare chance to impress following below average displays from the pair of Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech.
