Chelsea will look to recover quickly against Ipswich Town at Portman Road on Monday evening after seeing their Premier League title charge falter during the festive period.
A 0-0 stalemate with Everton followed by a 2-1 defeat to West London rivals Fulham at home for the first time in 45 years brought an end to a five-game winning streak. Arsenal winning on Friday allowed them to leapfrog the Blues into second and Liverpool open up a seven-point gap following the win over Leicester City, with a game in hand.
Enzo Maresca should be keen for a response from his boys at Ipswich, who are in 19th position in the table.
Chelsea Team News
Romeo Lavia has been unavailable for the last three Premier League fixtures due to a hamstring problem, but there is a chance that the midfielder could be back in the squad against Ipswich.
Benoit Badiashile, Wesley Fofana and Reece James remain on the sidelines for Chelsea.
Predicted Chelsea lineup vs Ipswich Town (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper
Robert Sanchez’s performances have not been up to the mark this season. Yet, the Spaniard should don the gloves for Chelsea as usual.
Defence
In front of Sanchez, Chelsea are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation once again. Tosin Adarabioyo should partner Levi Colwill in central defence, hoping to keep the burly Liam Delap at bay.
Malo Gusto and Marc Cucurella should operate as the full-backs. They will look to provide width and creativity going forward but must perform their defensive duties diligently when required.
Midfield
Romeo Lavia should be back in the squad after recovering from a hamstring injury. However, Maresca will refrain from throwing him in the first XI, which means the double pivot of Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez should remain intact.
Caicedo and Fernandez will try to take control of the game as quickly as possible and create chances in the final third for the attacking players.
Attack
Rotations in the forward areas should happen owing to a hectic schedule. Joao Felix will be hoping to get the nod on the left flank, resulting in Jadon Sancho dropping to the bench. Pedro Neto is expected to hold on to his spot on the right, with Cole Palmer pulling the strings from the No.10 role again.
Up top, Christopher Nkunku has a big opportunity to start. This would see Nicolas Jackson drop to the bench. It remains to be seen if Noni Madueke is in contention after being left out of the squad in the 2-1 defeat to Fulham.
