The Blues head to the south shore of England as they face a difficult matchup Saturday night in the American Express Stadium. Following a 2-1 comeback win against West Ham, Chelsea is looking to end their inconsistent form since Christmas. With this being the club's first match since the January transfer window closed, expect to see some changes in Enzo Maresca's side.
Chelsea said goodbye to several players on deadline day. Joao Felix, Ben Chilwell and Axel Disasi both went out on loan after their disappointing form left them struggling to find minutes. Young players Carney Chukumenka and Renato Veiga both went abroad on loan for the rest of the season seeking consistent oppurtunities.
Italian youngster Cesare Casadei completed a permanent move to Italian side Torino, ending is underwhelming Chelsea career. The club did welcome back center back Trevoh Chalobah after he was forced out against his will just this past summer. His services will come at a premium as the Blues still await the return of French centre back Benoit Badiashile in an already thin center back room.
In his pre-match press conference, Maresca stated that striker Nicolas Jackson could be at injury risk if he plays on saturday, adding to an already thin group of strikers after Marc Guiu who is expected to be out for weeks after picking up a few knocks against West Ham. The Chelsea Gaffer said French attacker Christopher Nkunku is "for sure" in his plans not only for this match but also the rest of the season following his near move to Bayern Munich. Although Maresca has stated numerous times that Nkunku is not a striker, his hand will be forced once again to play him in that role.
Goalkeeper FIlip Jørgensen featured in Chelsea's win over the Hammers. His steady shot stopping and composure on the ball stablized the Blues to comeback. Maresca would be outlandish to not have the Danish keeper secure the net this Saturday. He made a real difference compared to Robert Sanchez who leads the Premier League in errors leading to an opposition goal with 5.
Both squads enter with battling the injury bug. Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba missed this past weekend's match and the club is still unsure if he will be featured against Chelsea. The Seagulls are also remaining hopeful left back Pervis Estupinan will return to action after missing the past two matches with a muscular injury. Chelsea midfielder Romeo Lavia will miss another match after suffering a muscle injury in their recent January match against Bournemouth, leaving a worn out pairing of Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez to play once again.
Brighton enter off of their most humiliating defeat in a long time losing 7-0 to Nottingham Forest after a 1-0 defeat to 16th place Everton. While this scoreline seems enticing as a Chelsea fan, it may not be exactly what you wish for. Back in 2023, Brighton fell 5-1 to Everton at home. How did they respond? A 3-0 against Arsenal at the Emirates. The Seagulls also have wins over Newcastle, Man City and Bournemouth as well as their most recent victory coming in a 3-1 win at Old Trafford.
These familiar recent foes square off once again, as Chelsea looks to collect their sixth victory in a row over against Brighton. Maresca's side will need all hands on deck to come out victorious.