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Chelsea vs Wrexham: 3 things to look out for in friendly

By Jacob Aframian

Chelsea's Argentinian head coach Mauricio Pochettino poses for a photograph with a Chelsea scarf beside the pitch at Stamford Bridge in London on July 7, 2023, as he is introduced to the media as the new Chelsea Head Coach. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP) (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images)
Chelsea's Argentinian head coach Mauricio Pochettino poses for a photograph with a Chelsea scarf beside the pitch at Stamford Bridge in London on July 7, 2023, as he is introduced to the media as the new Chelsea Head Coach. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP) (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images) /
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The last time Chelsea F.C. played in a competitive match was on May 28th against Newcastle United where a dreadful season ended with a 1-1 draw. On Wednesday, the former open their USA tour by facing off against the Welsh club Wrexham A.F.C. in a friendly at Kenan Memorial Stadium, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina at 7:30 p.m. e.t.

This occasion also marks the first time new Blues manager Mauricio Pochettino gets to manage a game for the club. Another one of the big headlines surrounding this Chelsea team is the amount of first-team players from last season that have departed to other clubs.

A mass exodus with the squad, the fifth manager in the last year, and a new club uniform are just three of the many headlines surrounding the Blues this summer. With all of that in mind, here are three things to look out for in the exhibition against Wrexham.

1. What will the Chelsea starting 11 look like?

When a new manager takes over a club, one of the things that people are eager to find out when they get the chance is what kind of starting 11, and what type of formation will they play? During his time at Tottenham Hotspur, Pochettino tended to play a 4-2-3-1 formation. However, in recent years, Chelsea have consistently played with five at the back, because of the number of centrebacks they’ve had, along with properly utilizing the skills of wing-backs Ben Chilwell and Reece James.

Usually, when a team plays with five defenders, they tend to only play with two center midfielders instead of three, which might bode well for Chelsea considering how thin they are in that position, which will be further discussed later on. But for CFC, how the team will look is something worth considering.

Pochettino in the past has used wingers more as midfielders than on the wing. With players like Raheem Sterling, Mykhailo Mudryk, and Noni Madueke it will be interesting to see if the former Paris Saint Germain manager decides to play these wingers who are so used to playing at the top of the attack into deeper roles. However Pochettino decides to deploy his first 11, it doesn’t mean that it’s set and stone and he still may tinker heavily with the squad going forward.

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