Thomas Tuchel and his men must focus on the game of football, despite all of the background noise regarding Roman Abramovich, the sale of Chelsea Football Club and the current situation with the oligarch sanctioned. The Blues will face Newcastle United, whose takeover took place recently, which is quite ironic considering the current situation. Nevertheless, it’s set to be a battle of two of the Premier League’s hottest teams at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea will be looking for another huge three points against the Magpies that will further solidify its place in third.
Here’s who The Pride of London expects to start for Tuchel’s team this weekend:
Edouard Mendy (No. 16) Goalkeeper, Senegal
Edouard Mendy didn’t have much to do against Norwich City in the first half. He was unfortunate to lose his clean sheet to a penalty, and his penalty record isn’t getting any better. Nonetheless, a player like Mendy is an asset for any manager. Expect the Senegalese to start against Newcastle in what should be a comfortable outing for him.
Trevoh Chalobah (No.14) Right centerback, England
Trevoh Chalobah opened the scoring against the Canaries with a fantastic header in the opening few minutes. He played well throughout the game and conceded an unfortunate penalty to bring Norwich back into the game. Regardless, the Englishman wants to play for Chelsea, so he should be rewarded for being loyal to his club. Expect Chalobah to put in a brilliant shift against the Toons.
Thiago Silva (No. 6) Centerback, Brazil
Chelsea needs characters like Thiago Silva more than ever before right now. The club is going through turmoil and things are looking grim. Sponsors are pulling out and expenditure caps have been placed in an unprecedented time. The players have nothing to do with the situation and yet, they have become victims of politics. It is easy to get carried away in these situations and they must focus on their football. There is a lot of play for these final few months of the seasons and experienced players like Silva need to lead from the front. The Brazilian has been starting games consecutively, so Tuchel needs to manage his workload. However, Silva will probably want to be on the pitch right now to fight with his men, and the Blues need him.
Antonio Rudiger (No. 2) Centerback, Germany
Antonio Rudiger was rested against Norwich City and deservedly so. The German has started consistently under Tuchel and he has been without a deputy for most of the season. Malang Sarr has been busy covering the left side of the defence, so Rudiger’s had to shoulder most of the load at left centerback by himself.
In the current situation, Rudiger will leave this summer with three clubs interested, as reported recently by Fabrizio Romano. While the German was never close to signing an extension, there was always hope that both parties would find an agreement toward the end of the season. However, with the current sanctions, such extensions are not allowed, and Rudiger is likely to leave. Nevertheless, Chelsea fans can expect dedication and passion from the German in his remaining days at Stamford Bridge, including a solid performance against Newcastle on Sunday.