Callum Hudson-Odoi (No. 20) Right Wingback, England
Callum Hudson-Odoi has been discussed a lot for the past couple of days. He was brought on at half time against Southampton and was withdrawn after 30 minutes as Tuchel wasn’t happy with his “attitude” and whatnot. While the decision was a bit strange, it is a statement of intent from Tuchel which could potentially turn things against him in the future (as seen in the case of numerous managers at Stamford Bridge). The Southampton game aside, Hudson-Odoi has been terrific in the past games. He has caused a lot of troubles for the opposition’s backline and has done well as a wingback. The game against Atletico Madrid is the ideal opportunity for the young man to put the whole incident behind him and remind everyone of what a star he is.
N’Golo Kante (No. 7) Central Midfielder, France
Many fans have forgotten about the genius of N’Golo Kante. The Frenchman has been struggling with injuries over the past couple of seasons, however, his impact on the ball cannot be understated. Kante made his return to the starting lineup in the Premier League against Southampton. Despite the Saints’ high press, Kante managed to boss their midfield around and broke a number of attacks as he regained possession for the Blues, and this reminded everyone of the type of influence that Kante has on a game. Atletico Madrid relies on quick counter-attacks to score goals and there is no one more suited than Kante to handle this. Jorginho has been consistent with his performances but he has been exposed to the press on a number of occasions and his lack of physicality doesn’t help either. Expect Kante to start against Atletico and remind Europe of the beast that Chelsea possesses.
Mateo Kovacic (No. 17) Central midfielder, Croatia
Mateo Kovacic has been in great form in the past few weeks. He has been essential in Tuchel’s system as one of the midfielders in the pivot. His ability to dribble out of tight situations has been handy against high pressing teams. The Croat has featured regularly in the Premier League and has been influential in almost every game. What makes him special is his ability to read situations and act accordingly. Some of Kovacic’s tackles while backtracking have been effective as he has managed to break the opposition’s attacks. Against Atletico, Kovacic and his dribbling will be essential as they maintain a solid defensive structure.
Ben Chilwell (No. 21) Left Wingback, England
Ben Chilwell is still adapting to the left wingback role at Chelsea. Chilwell is more comfortable in making overlapping runs with a winger upfront. However, in the current Chelsea setup, Chilwell is usually in advanced positions when Chelsea has the ball. Marcos Alonso has been preferred by Tuchel as wingback happens to be his natural position. Against Southampton, Alonso was quite poor. Most of his crosses were wayward and he looked completely off his game. In the first half, Tuchel could be seen jumping up and down in frustration from Alonso’s gameplay. Considering Alonso’s performance against Saints, Chilwell has a good chance of starting the game against Atletico.