Chelsea vs Club America predicted XI: Does Sterling start in 4-3-3?

After waiting more than two months since the end of the 2021/22 season, Chelsea is finally ready to go into another season. Preseason training for the Blues started a few weeks ago, but they play their first preseason game on the July 17 from sunny Las Vegas, Nevada, in the United States. Thomas Tuchel is likely you want to try out some returning players and what better time to play them together than in the preseason debut.

Here is who The Pride of London believes will get the nod and stretch their legs against Mexican giant, Club America:

Kepa Arrizabalaga (No. 1) Goalkeeper, Spain

Kepa Arrizabalaga is being shopped out, especially after reports have emerged that Chelsea is closing in on the signing of American goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina. Edouard Mendy is going to be first choice again this season, but Arrizabalaga has even less match sharpness than his Senegalese colleague. The Blues play Club America in their first preseason contest and they don’t need to go full strength.

Reece James (No. 24) Right back, England

As a key player, it’s important that Chelsea starts getting Reece James match fit as early as possible with the season kicking off in less than a month.

Thiago Silva (No. 6) Centerback, Brazil

Thiago Silva probably doesn’t play the full match. In fact, no starting player is likely to spend all 90 minutes on the pitch. Silva may be deployed alongside a young defender as a guide to some players trying to earn their spot in the side. Silva is likely to be a regular starter when the season starts, so it’s good to start getting his fitness up early.

Levi Colwill (N/A) Centerback, England

Levi Colwill is one of the returning loanees that Tuchel needs to take a closer look at. There are many fans clamouring for Chelsea to count Colwill as a squad player for the coming season. This is a valid request. Some pundits have criticised the Blues for exploring the option of selling the youngster, but this criticism is misplaced, if the reports of Colwill demanding guaranteed game time are true. Some still, are demanding equal opportunities for all players in the squad, which is outright absurd. The reason senior players are different from inexperienced players is because senior players have been inexperienced players before and have worked their way up and now have the pedigree that much younger players don’t. Not all players in the squad have equal opportunities and shouldn’t have equal opportunities. The pressure on established players is different and is something they’ve grown accustomed to, and so the trust in them is more. This is not the case with younger, inexperienced players.

Ben Chilwell (No. 21) Left back, England

Ben Chilwell returned from injury last season, playing two minutes in the last game of the season against Watford. Preseason is all about fitness, and as a starter, Chilwell needs more fitness than most of the other players as he’s been without match football for the longest. Many doubt whether Chilwell will come back the same Chilwell that got injured, that’s a fair concern, as there’s ample evidence of players that were away for a long time due to injury and never quite hit the levels they were before the injury. Chelsea will be hoping that Chilwell hits those levels, because Marcos Alonso seems to be inching ever closer to a move away from the west London club.