Chelsea predicted XI vs. Krasnodar: The trustworthy 4-2-3-1

Chelsea’s French goalkeeper Edouard Mendy plays during the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Chelsea at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on October 24, 2020. (Photo by OLI SCARFF/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

To rotate or not to rotate, that is the question; here is the Chelsea XI Frank Lampard is expected to field in Krasnodar.

Games are coming thick and fast and players barely have any time for recovery—this is no different for Chelsea. The Blues travel to Krasnodar for their next Champions League tie. No team has picked up a win in Group E yet, Chelsea will be looking to pick up the first win in the group in Russia. Expect Lampard to use a 4-2-3-1 again as his side will be expected to be the more dominant side, but who does the manager deem it fit to send to war in Russia?

Edouard Mendy (No. 16) Goalkeeper, Senegal

Mendy is head and shoulders above every other goalkeeper at the club. He has kept three clean sheets in four appearances, including a clean sheet in his first Champions League career appearance. His presence in the team so obviously instills the confidence that keepers are expected to. Kepa Arrizabalaga’s poor performances might make it difficult to appreciate Mendy’s saves, but make no mistake, his saves aren’t routine, they’re top class. Mendy will win Chelsea a considerable number of points this season, and he has already won one against Manchester United. He has also shown that he can be a deciding factor in the Champions League for the west London side.

Cesar Azpilicueta (No. 28) Right back, Spain

Though Azpilicueta started the last game alongside Reece James, expect the captain to start again. The Spaniard’s presence is vital because he’s probably the only one who can communicate effectively with whoever starts in Chelsea’s defensive line.

Antonio Rudiger (No. 2) Centerback, Germany

Rudiger hasn’t gotten many appearances for Chelsea in the last few months, despite appearing for Germany during the international break. It is somewhat understandable, but his absence does beg the question about what the depth chart at centerback for Chelsea is and where Rudiger is positioned on it. It would have been better for the German and club if he had changed clubs before this window shut because Chelsea has too many centerbacks on a similar ability level. Distributing minutes in that kind of situation is awkward, but all is spilt milk now and Rudiger remains a Chelsea player. He should also get his opportunities to impress and fight for a starting spot in more important games.

Fikayo Tomori (No. 14) Centerback, England

Tomori played well in the Liverpool match in which he came on in the wake of Andreas Christensen’s dismissal. He made eight clearances, two tackles and two interceptions. He still has a long way to go force his way into the starting XI, but his development is going well

Ben Chilwell (No. 21) Left back, England

Chilwell’s position unfortunately isn’t one that Lampard can afford to rotate as much as he’d want to because the things you lose with Chilwell’s absence may prove to be very costly. Unfortunately, the left back position—especially under Lampard—takes a lot from any individual in every game, so rest is essential. Many players who play that position have better stamina and fitness than most, so hopefully Chilwell has even better stamina than them.