Chelsea round off their Champions League group-stage campaign on Wednesday evening when they host Dinamo Zagreb at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues have guaranteed their top spot in Group E after picking up 10 points from five games, sealing their place in the knockout rounds of the Champions League with a 2-1 win over Red Bull Salzburg last week.
As a result, Graham Potter will get the chance to prioritise next weekend’s Premier League encounter with Arsenal following his first loss as the Chelsea boss in the disastrous 4-1 defeat to Brighton at the Amex Stadium.
Chelsea Team News
As per Graham Potter, Kalidou Koulibaly has an outside chance of making the squad for the game against Dinamo Zagreb.
Kepa Arrizabalaga was forced off with a foot problem against Brighton at the weekend and is set to miss out on the upcoming Champions League fixture.
N’Golo Kante, Reece James and Wesley Fofana remain long-term absentees for Chelsea, with James and Fofana continuing their rehabilitation programmes this week in Dubai.
Having progressed to the last 16 of the Champions League, Potter could rotate his squad and give some of the fringe players a chance to impress on Wednesday.
Predicted Chelsea Lineup vs Dinamo Zagreb (3-4-2-1)
Goalkeeper
As Kepa had to come off with a foot injury against Brighton, Edouard Mendy should therefore come back in the Chelsea goal. It would give the Senegalese a chance to stake his claim in the last few games before the World Cup break.
Defence
Lining up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, Potter should shuffle his pack at the back and give Thiago Silva a night off. The manager is certain to avoid risking Kalidou Koulibaly if he can help it, handing starts to Trevoh Chalobah, Marc Cucurella and Cesar Azpilicueta in the three-man backline in the Chelsea lineup.
Cucurella will be raring to bounce back after a disappointing performance against his former club Brighton at the weekend. The Spaniard will start on the left-hand side of a back three, with Chalobah and Azpilicueta occupying the other two vacant spots in defence in the Chelsea lineup.
Midfield
Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Ben Chilwell will act as the wing-backs in the Chelsea lineup, influencing their attacking play from wide areas. In central midfield, Conor Gallagher could form the double pivot with Jorginho, who was an unused substitute in the Blues’ defeat to Brighton.
Denis Zakaria may finally get a chance to make his Chelsea debut at some point in the game, while Carney Chukwuemeka will hope to enjoy some minutes off the bench against the Croatian outfit.
Attack
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Raheem Sterling could do with some rest, though, so Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech may line up as playmakers behind centre-forward Armando Broja in the Chelsea lineup. The trio must look to grab the opportunities that come their way in midweek and help Chelsea bounce back from the disappointing defeat at Brighton.
