Chelsea interim head coach Calum McFarlane faces some really tough calls ahead of the Blues’ Premier League clash against Tottenham at Stamford Bridge this evening
Xabi Alonso will be watching on as Chelsea take on Tottenham in their penultimate Premier League fixture of the season this evening.
Alonso, who signed a four-year contract at Stamford Bridge at the weekend, will be eager to see his new squad in action against their fierce rivals Spurs. Whether the Spaniard will be in attendance for the match in west London remains to be seen, but one way or another, he will be tuning in.
Chelsea still have an outside shot of finishing in the Champions League, but need plenty of things to go their way if that is to be the case. Either way, the Blues need to beat Tottenham tonight – not only for their European bid, but for the sake of the supporters.
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With the London derby kicking off just over 72 hours after the final whistle of Saturday’s FA Cup final, interim head coach Calum McFarlane has a number of tough decisions to make in relation to the line-up he chooses. With that being said, football.london does its best at predicting the XI Chelsea players taking to the pitch against Spurs.
Robert Sanchez
Unless McFarlane surprises everyone and opts with Filip Jorgensen between the posts, it seems certain that Sanchez will continue in goal for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Malo Gusto
While Gusto continues to frustrate with his output in the final third, there is no doubting the Frenchman’s durability. More often than not, Gusto seems to start back-to-back games and that is a brilliant quality to have for any head coach/manager.
Trevoh Chalobah
McFarlane could return to a back-four system – and here’s my thinking: Chelsea gave up possession in the defeat to Man City and they cannot afford to do that against Tottenham at home. Perhaps it was in McFarlane’s thinking to concede possession, but with Spurs the visitors, it might make more sense to deploy a more attacking-minded setup. If that is the case, Chalobah could return to the side, in place of Wesley Fofana.
Jorrel Hato
Hato could partner Chalobah, with Levi Colwill earning a rest after completing the last two matches. McFarlane admitted he needed to be careful with the Chelsea defender, who recently returned to action after a lengthy layoff due to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.
Marc Cucurella
The Spaniard always starts – whether it’s three in defence or four. You can’t see that changing here. There have been some encouraging signs from Cucurella in the last couple of games after a poor run of form before that.
Moises Caicedo
Another player who is always in the side. Caicedo needs to put in a Caicedo-like performance and help dominate the Spurs midfield. If he can do that, Chelsea will be in a much better position to take three points away from their long-time rivals.
Andrey Santos
Reece James should be rested given he played most of Saturday’s FA Cup final. Romeo Lavia sustained a “small knock” leading up to the match at Wembley, so he is a doubt for this one. Santos could come in alongside Caicedo, if it is indeed 4-2-3-1.
Cole Palmer
It was another frustrating Palmer performance on Saturday. However, you would be amazed if he didn’t start tonight. All would be forgiven, from what has been a sub-par season for Palmer, if the Chelsea attacker won the match against Tottenham tonight.
Enzo Fernandez
In this fixture last season, Fernandez scored the only goal of the game as Chelsea beat Spurs at Stamford Bridge. The Argentine will be desperate to have a similar impact this evening.
Pedro Neto
If it is a more orthodox 4-2-3-1, Neto could return to the side on the left wing. Alejandro Garnacho will be an option from the bench, but it seems highly unlikely that the Argentine will start at Stamford Bridge.
Joao Pedro
Usually there would be no doubt about Joao Pedro, but the Brazil international was moving gingerly in the latter stages of the FA Cup final. Hopefully it was just fatigue and he has recovered for the visit of Spurs. Chelsea desperately need their 20-goal man.
Predicted Chelsea XI: Sanchez; Gusto, Chalobah, Hato, Cucurella; Caicedo, Santos; Palmer, Fernandez, Neto; Joao Pedro
