Chelsea Predicted XI vs Servette: Pedro Neto to get full debut with full rotation in 4-2-3-1

Chelsea's season has kicked off proper, and it started with a loss to Manchester City on Sunday, August 18. No one expected the west London side to win that game, so Maresca has not gotten much heat for that result. This Servette game is where Blues fans not only expect to win but to win comfortably.

This tie against the Swiss Super League side is a perfect opportunity to fully rotate his side, as many players in the squad did not even make the 20-man Matchday squad against Man City, mostly because Maresca simply couldn't fit them in. Here is the Pride of London's predicted lineup for this game:

Filip Jorgensen (No 12) Goalkeeper, Denmark

Chelsea signed Jorgensen in this window, mainly because of the thinking that he'd be a better passer than the other goalkeepers currently registered with the club, and while that remains to be seen, this game presents the perfect opportunity to see what the Danish keeper can do. Sanchez also underperformed against Man City, so Jorgensen could give Maresca something to think about, if he plays well enough.

Josh Acheampong (No. 34) Right back, England

Acheampong has had some minutes at right back and centerback in preseason, and with Reece James injured, Maresca will likely avoid playing Malo Gusto for a second time in four days, hence the inclusion of Acheampong in the starting lineup.

Tosin Adarabioyo (No. 4) Centerback, England

Adarabioyo featured heavily in preseason and didn't start against Man City even though he was expected to, not that it was surprising. The former Fulham defender came to Chelsea on a free transfer, and is clearly a very capable defender. Chelsea has so many centerbacks, so there are many options of centerbacks to pick from even if the criteria is "did not play against Man City".

Benoit Badiashile (No. 5) Centerback, France

Badiashile had a shaky preseason, like many other centerbacks, but his passing, reading of the game, and aerial prowess are traits that Chelsea will find useful in any game, more so in this one. He also has the opportunity of giving Maresca a selection headache for league games, which shouldn't be difficult considering that the Blues centerback pairing against Man City did not impress.

Renato Veiga (No. 40) Left back, Portugal

Veiga played 80 minutes in six games of preseason, and got 10 minutes against Man City when Marc Cucurella got injured. Maresca is on record saying he doesn't mind club vice-captain Ben Chilwell leaving the club to get minutes. This means that Veiga is almost guaranteed to be a starter at left back from now on. Chilwell is still at the club, so Veiga could still lose his spot to the England international if he doesn't impress.

Cesare Casadei (No. 31) Central midfielder, Italy

For a squad that has 41 first-team players, it is surprisingly thin in the central midfielder department. Outside of Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, and Romeo Lavia, the only other players who can play central midfield are Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Casare Casadei. Conor Gallagher is not included in this because he's being forced out. One of the midfielders who played against Man City may also play in this one, but it's not likely.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (No. 22) Central midfielder, England

Dewsbury-Hall was on fire for Leicester City last season in the Championship, but it remains to be seen if all that goodness can translate to the Premier League. However, if the 25-year-old can dominate a game, it should be Servette, with all due respect.

Carney Chukwuemeka (No. 17) Central attacking midfielder, England

Chukwuemeka was doing very well last season until he got injured against West Ham after scoring. This game would be a good chance to start building his form back up.

Pedro Neto (No. 19) Right winger, Portugal

Neto had no preseason with Chelsea, but Maresca made it clear that he was fit to play and could feature against Man City, and he did. Neto is Chelsea's marquee signing of the summer window, arriving from Wolverhampton Wanderers for €60m. This is a chance for him to show that he can produce the goods in games where Maresca's men are favourites.

Raheem Sterling (No. 7) Left winger, England

Sterling released a statement through his representatives asking for clarification on his future, after he was dropped from the 20-man Matchday squad. Maresca has said it was a "technical decision", whatever that means. The 29-year-old England international is still the most experienced player not exiled at the club, so expect him to feature here.

Marc Guiu (No. 38) Center forward, Spain

Guiu is the only player who has gotten minutes at center forward other than Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku. He is strong and can compete with centerbacks, which should be useful in this game, even though Chelsea fans still don't know how good his finishing is.