Chelsea vs Leeds predicted XI: 3-4-1-2 with Werner and Lukaku again

Chelsea is in a crisis and the world is about to come crashing down. The phrase “you can’t win every game” is one that many Blues fans say, but clearly don’t actually believe. Chelsea drew its last UEFA Champions League group stage game away to Krasnodar 1-1 last season, as well, and there was no injury crisis then.

The injury crisis is so bad this season they have no fit senior central midfielders except Saul, who hasn’t played well when played in that role. Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic, N’Golo Kante and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are all either injured or unable to start the next game for the Blues. Chelsea has conceded three goals in each of its last two games. But like Thomas Tuchel has said, the problem is in the details, so it’s easy to fix. The Blues welcome Leeds United to Stamford Bridge in a bid to continue their title charge. Chelsea lost to first place to Manchester City and West Ham United, but it now has to be ready to take advantage of any slip-ups, as well, like Manchester City were. You cannot stay top if you don’t go top.

Who does Tuchel trust to pull Chelsea out of the current slump it’s in?

Edouard Mendy (No. 16) Goalkeeper, Senegal

It was another game Edouard Mendy did not play against Zenit St. Petersburg midweek, another “Mendy would have saved that” rubbish bit spread on the timeline. Mendy got a well-deserved break on Wednesday in a fairly insignificant match on matchday six in the Champions League. Mendy had a horrific outing against West Ham United in his last Premier League game, but there’s nothing to suggest that was anything other than the occasional bad day in the office. He’s back in against Leeds United almost certainly.

Andreas Christensen (No. 4) Right centerback, Denmark

Andreas Christensen was poor against Zenit, and while it’s easy to suggest the contract saga has gotten to his head, it has to be said that since he returned to the side after being publicly called out on his negotiation handling by Tuchel, he hasn’t quite been the same. It would, however, be unfair not to mention that Chelsea had an incompetent central midfield against Zenit, leading to the centerbacks being exposed. Centerbacks will always be exposed if they play a high line and the midfield fails. Ross Barkley didn’t press as much as he should have and that meant Reece James was alone most of the time. Christensen didn’t cover himself in glory either though.

Thiago Silva (No. 6) Centerback, Brazil

Many said Thiago Silva was missed against Zenit, but Silva was never going to play against Zenit anyway, so that’s a moot point. Silva had a goal line clearance against West Ham and that is worth commending. However, he was as culpable in the defeat against West Ham as everyone else. Silva is currently Chelsea’s best and most influential centerback, and he is crucial in everything the Blues’ defense does in-game. His composure and intelligence help Chelsea stay ahead of key defensive situations. It would be naïve of the Blues to ignore the fact that Silva is 37 years old though, so they have to start looking to bring in a replacement soon, even if said replacement doesn’t get into the side right away.

Antonio Rudiger (No. 2) Left centerback, Germany

Antonio Rudiger proves that football fans have scandalously short memories. The goals Chelsea conceded against Zenit brought a lot of “this is what the team misses when Rudiger doesn’t play” claims from sections of the fanbase. They seem to have forgotten that Rudiger was very much involved just four days prior and complicit in conceding three goals and losing against fourth-placed West Ham. Go further back and you’d see Rudiger also having shaky moments against Watford. As usual, Chelsea fans always looks to the player not playing and name them as the solution—hindsight analysis. Rudiger is very important to Tuchel’s system and will start when fit.