Chelsea FC Host Stoke City: Confirmed Line-Up And Analysis
With under an hour until kick-off, the teams have been confirmed for Chelsea FC’s Premier League clash with Stoke City. Check out the starting line-ups!
Chelsea welcome Stoke City to Stamford Bridge this afternoon for a Premier League clash. Both sides are chasing an improbable top four spot, but the Blues’ Champions League clash with PSG on Wednesday may affect their mindset today. Guus Hiddink and Mark Hughes have handed in their team sheets!
| Chelsea FC | Stoke City |
|---|---|
| Thibaut Courtois | Jack Butland |
| Cesar Azpilicueta | Geoff Cameron |
| Gary Cahill | Philipp Wollscheid |
| Branislav Ivanovic (C) | Marc Muniesa |
| Baba Rahman | Erik Pieters |
| John Obi Mikel | Glenn Whelan |
| Nemanja Matic | Giannelli Imbula |
| Willian | Xherdan Shaqiri |
| Oscar | Ibrahim Afellay |
| Eden Hazard | Marko Arnautovic |
| Bertrand Traore | Mame Biram Diouf |
| Subs | Subs |
| Asmir Begovic | Jakob Haugaard |
| Matt Miazga | Stephen Ireland |
| Jake Clarke-Salter | Joselu |
| Ruben Loftus-Cheek | Jonathan Walters |
| Cesc Fabregas | Dionatan Teixeira |
| Alexandre Pato | Peter Crouch |
| Loic Remy | Bojan |
Next: Chelsea FC v Stoke City: Predictions
The biggest talking point is that Diego Costa does not start. In fact, he does not feature in the matchday squad in general. Guus Hiddink has been talking about giving him a rest, but confirmed in his press conference that he would start today. However, it is being reported that the Spanish international has been pulled from the team due to a minor tendon injury. Hopefully, Costa will recover in time for Wednesday’s big European fixture.
Bertrand Traore is the man who takes his place. Both Loic Remy and Alexandre Pato are on the bench, but Traore is the person whom Hiddink has chosen to lead the line. The youngster has been impressive each time that he has taken the field and thus this decision is justified. Blues fans will undoubtedly be delighted by Traore’s inclusion and will be expecting an exciting and enterprising display from the forward.
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After replacing Baba Rahman, Kenedy does not retain his starting spot. The Brazilian is thought to be carrying a knock, allowing Baba to come back into the team after his substitution-inducing error against Southampton. It will be interesting to see how Baba copes with the pressure and the increased scrutiny upon his return to the starting eleven.
Cesc Fabregas is another man who loses his place, likely due to the rest factor as well. Nemanja Matic replaces him and the Serbian will be hoping to put in a more impressive performance than we have recently seen from him. The midfielder has been struggling for form and will require something spectacular to force his way into the side for the PSG match. Willian, Oscar and Eden Hazard are the trio just behind the striker.
On the Stoke side of affairs, Geoff Cameron has shook off a late injury worry to make the starting eleven. Former Chelsea target Giannelli Imbula is in the midfield; he will be looking to show why the reigning champions were interested in him. The Potters trio of Ibrahim Afellay, Marko Arnautovic and Xherdan Shaqiri need no introduction and with the likes of Bojan on the bench, they certainly have game-changing talent to bring on late into the contest.
Next: Chelsea FC Take On Stoke: 3 Pre-Match Talking Points
What do you think of the teams? Let us know your thoughts and predictions in the comments section below!