Chelsea take on newly-promoted Luton Town at Stamford Bridge as they go in search of their first three points of the Premier League season.
The Blues will play their second game at Stamford Bridge this season, with the first fixture ending in an exciting 1-1 draw with Liverpool. There was optimism around the club after the game against Liverpool in what was Mauricio Pochettino’s first official game in charge of the Blues.
However, West Ham gave Pochettino’s side a reality check at the London Stadium last weekend, beating them 3-1 with 10 men. So, the Argentinean tactician would be expecting a rousing response from the boys against Luton, who should be well rested after their match against Burnley last week was postponed due to ongoing work at Kenilworth Road.
Chelsea Team News
Carney Chukwuemeka has joined Chelsea’s long absentee list after requiring knee surgery for an injury he suffered in the 3-1 defeat to West Ham last weekend. To make matters worse, Mykhaylo Mudryk also misses out after picking up a minor injury in training while new signing Romeo Lavia is not yet match-fit.
Benoit Badiashile, Armando Broja, Marcus Bettinelli, Trevoh Chalobah, Wesley Fofana, Reece James and Christopher Nkunku are all out injured.
Predicted Chelsea Lineup vs Luton Town (3-4-2-1)
Goalkeeper
Robert Sanchez will start in goal for Chelsea again but competition is soon on the way, with Djordje Petrovic expected to join the club from MLS side New England Revolution.
Defence
Thiago Silva, Axel Disasi and Levi Colwill will form the back three in front of Sanchez in the Chelsea lineup. They endured a tough time against West Ham’s speedy forwards Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen, and with a physical Luton expected to cause problems from set-pieces and corners, the trio have to be at their best to keep a clean sheet at home on Friday.
Midfield
With captain Reece James still out injured, Malo Gusto should continue at right wing-back. Ben Chilwell is again expected to get the nod ahead of Marc Cucurella at left wing-back in the Chelsea lineup.
As Carney Chukwuemeka is out injured, Conor Gallagher is likely to be pushed up the pitch to fill in as one of the advanced midfielders. This change will allow for new signing Moises Caicedo to get his first start for Chelsea, having come off the bench against West Ham.
Caicedo will be looking to put his nightmarish debut at West Ham behind him and produce a strong display alongside Enzo Fernandez in the middle of the park in the Chelsea lineup.
Attack
Gallagher will get the license to roam and create opportunities off the left, while Raheem Sterling looks to build on the impressive display against West Ham. Starting wide right, Sterling’s pace and movement could cause problems for the Luton backline.
Leading the Chelsea lineup up front again will be Nicolas Jackson, hoping to score his first Premier League goal on Friday as Pochettino and Co. look to get their first win of the season.
