A slightly shaken Chelsea will hope to return to the top of the Premier League table when they host Leeds United on Saturday.
The Blues slipped to the third spot in the Premier League after a shock 3-2 defeat against London rivals West Ham United last weekend. The loss was followed by a thrilling 3-3 draw against Zenit in the Champions League.
The draw meant Chelsea finished second in Group H of the Champions League, implying they could face stronger opposition in the next round of Europe’s premier football competition.
Chelsea Team News
Midfielders Mateo Kovacic and N’Golo Kanté along with defenders Ben Chilwell and Trevoh Chalobah are all out. There are doubts over the inclusion of midfielder Jorginho and Ruben Loftus-Cheek as well.
Predicted Chelsea Lineup vs Leeds (3-4-1-2)
Goalkeeper
Kepa Arrizabalaga replaced Edouard Mendy in between the sticks for the Champions League game against Zenit. It was Arrizabalaga first Champions League start this season. But the Spaniard failed to impress on his return to the first-team action as he conceded three goals.
Arrizabalaga’s failure to keep a clean sheet could force Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel to revert to Mendy in the Chelsea lineup. The Senegalese ‘keeper has kept six clean sheets in the Premier League this season.
Mendy will look to bounce back regain the confidence of his manager after some shaky displays in goal.
Defence
Chelsea’s defence will be under scrutiny when the team takes the field at Stamford Bridge. The Blues had the best defence in Europe up until the team’s game against Manchester United on matchday 13 of the Premier League.
Against United, Chelsea conceded a goal and since that match, the Blues’ defence has been breached seven more times. Clearly, the weaknesses in Chelsea’s defence have been found out by the opposition teams.
Against Zenit, Malang Sarr, Andreas Christensen and César Azpilicueta lined up in Chelsea’s three-man defence. However, Antonio Rüdiger and Thiago Silva are expected to resume their defensive duties for the clash against Leeds. So, Christensen, Rüdiger and Silva are likely to be the three men who will shoulder the responsibility to stop Leeds’ attack.
Midfield
Predicted Chelsea Lineup vs Leeds United
Tuchel changed the shape of his midfield against Zenit. For the Champions League tie, the Chelsea boss played four of Saúl Ñíguez, Ross Barkley, Reece James and Callum Hudson-Odoi with Mason Mount just ahead of them in the deep-lying No.10 role.
Tuchel is expected to retain the shape of the midfield but modifications in the personnel. Marcos Alonso should come in after being rested mid-week. Jorginho, if fit and available, should start for this game. Alonso and Jorginho could replace Hudson-Odoi and Barkley. Mount should retain his spot in the Chelsea lineup.
Attack
Timo Werner paired up with Romelu Lukaku in anticipation of goals against Zenit. The move worked well for Chelsea as Werner had a brace and Lukaku scored for the first time since recovering from his injury. The two should again make the Chelsea lineup against Leeds United.
