Chelsea vs Chesterfield predicted XI: Another 4-3-3 with injury returnees

Less than three days after Chelsea dispatched Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur, it kicks off its FA Cup campaign for the season in what promises to be the most favorable tie in a long time. The Blues could not have asked for a better tie in this round, but the FA Cup is all about upsets, and the wrong attitude from Chelsea players could see them on the wrong side of a headline come Sunday morning. Who does Thomas Tuchel send out in this one with games coming thick and oh so fast?

Marcus Bettinelli (No. 13) Goalkeeper, England

Marcus Bettinelli is yet to make an appearance for the Blues, but like everyone predicted, the AFCON period would present numerous opportunities for Chelsea’s goalkeepers to show the stuff they’re made of. Bettinelli would probably prefer a debut against Chesterfield, as this gives him a perfect chance to start his Chelsea career with a clean sheet. No one has watched Bettinelli play for the Blues, so no one can really predict how well he will play, but this is the perfect opportunity to put himself into the mix as a rotation option.

Xavier Simons (No. 54) Right back, England

Xavier Simons was underwhelming against Brentford in the EFL Cup some weeks ago. However, it was his first game in the top flight and more shouldn’t have been expected of him. Tuchel felt the need to involve the youth against Brentford when Chelsea was injury and COVID ravaged, but he may feel the need to involve the youth now for completely different reasons. This match could see Chelsea use central midfielders at fullback positions on both sides of the pitch because it doesn’t have more than one fit fullback, and he already played against Tottenham in midweek.

Antonio Rudiger (No. 2) Centerback, Germany

Antonio Rudiger was generally solid in the back line against Tottenham. A lot has been said about Rudiger’s inability to do well in a two-centerback formation, and while one match doesn’t disprove any of those narratives, it is good the German held his own for the most part. There was a moment he picked up the ball from an interception and tried to drive the ball upfield. Unfortunately, his touch was heavy and he ended up losing the ball at the halfway line, leaving himself effectively out of position and his team out of possession. Those moments are why it would be unadvisable to play Rudiger in a two-centerback formation in the long-term, because at 29 years old, some things cannot be coached out of him.

Malang Sarr (No. 31) Centerback, France

Malang Sarr played well against Tottenham and even got a clean sheet for his troubles. His partnership with Rudiger in Tuchel’s experimental two-centerback formation worked out in the end. He made some key interceptions and made sure he rarely got caught on the wrong side of the ball. He may return to the line-up again barely three days after the last just to keep the chemistry between he and his German centerback partner.

Saul (No. 17) Left back, Spain

Saul played very well against Tottenham in the EFL Cup semifinal first leg on Wednesday. He has been very good in recent games, indicating that it was dumb to define him on his first two Premier League starts. Saul changed systems from a super disciplined, ultra-defensive system to one that prioritizes possession of the ball. He changed leagues, countries and living conditions, there was nothing about the move that should have made Chelsea fans expect the Spaniard to start putting out top performances from the off. The Blues’ fans expected it anyway, as they always do, and ended up setting unrealistic standards for their players, getting disappointed and pointing to the next new thing as the solution.