After their midweek cup duties, Chelsea will shift their focus to the Premier League on Saturday as they entertain Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues made it to the third round of the Carabao Cup after defeating League Two opposition AFC Wimbledon 2-1 at home on Wednesday. While Mauricio Pochettino’s men made hard work of their EFL Cup tie, the manner of their first Premier League win of the season over Luton Town last week was far more emphatic as Raheem Sterling netted twice and set up Nicolas Jackson during an eye-catching individual display.
At home, the west Londoners will be hoping to enter the international break by beating Nottingham Forest, who were eliminated by Burnley in the second round of the Carabao Cup.
Chelsea Team News
Chelsea were seemingly dealt a big blow on Wednesday night when Levi Colwill limped out of the EFL Cup win over Wimbledon. However, Mauricio Pochettino eased fears on that front after the game, saying Colwill’s is not a big issue.
Christopher Nkunku (knee), Reece James (hamstring), Wesley Fofana (knee), Marcus Bettinelli (unknown), Trevoh Chalobah (hamstring) and Carney Chukwuemeka (knee) will definitely miss the visit of Nottingham Forest. Mykhaylo Mudryk (minor issue) and Benoit Badiashile (hamstring) are the closest players to returning but even they are unlikely to be available for the weekend fixture.
Cole Palmer is unlikely to be fast-tracked into the team so soon after joining as that is not an area which requires an emergency option.
Predicted Chelsea lineup vs Nottingham Forest (3-4-2-1)
Goalkeeper
Robert Sanchez was at fault for conceding a penalty against Wimbledon. The Spaniard will be raring to make amends and put in a better display in goal against Forest.
Defence
With a mix of talented youngsters and fringe players failing to grasp their opportunities in the midweek Carabao Cup tie with Wimbledon, Pochettino will recall his first-teamers against Forest. Reverting to a 3-4-2-1, Thiago Silva will join Axel Disasi and Levi Colwill in the three-man backline in the Chelsea lineup.
As claimed by Pochettino, Colwill’s issue isn’t a serious one and he should be fit to start on Saturday.
Midfield
Conor Gallagher will likely start alongside Moises Caicedo in the Chelsea lineup in the middle of the park, hoping to dominate possession and dictate the tempo of the game for the Blues.
Malo Gusto and Ben Chilwell can be deployed as the wing-backs in the Chelsea lineup, and they will look to protect the central defenders and add width to the side as well.
Attack
Raheem Sterling, who was the star of the show against Luton Town last weekend, and Enzo Fernandez will add flair, creativity and drive to this Chelsea side.
Finally, Nicolas Jackson, who bagged his first Blues goal in the 3-0 win over Luton, will lead the Chelsea lineup from the front.
The likes of Noni Madueke, Ian Maatsen and Lesley Ugochukwu will wait for their opportunities to make a difference off the bench.