Chelsea vs Leicester: Three Blues who must start

Chelsea has been winning games and picking up points in the league. They've also been winning cup games, having won all their cup games this season except the final of the League Cup. A win here would give Chelsea a semifinal place, which is all too familiar territory for Mauricio Pochettino's men. Here are three players who must start against the Foxes.

Mykhailo Mudryk (No. 10) Left winger, Ukraine

The Chelsea game against Newcastle was brought to life with the injection of Mudryk. His speed and trickery were simply too much for the Newcastle players to handle. Mudryk applied his strongest skills at the right time in that game, and more of that against Leicester City could be equally devastating for the Championship club, if not more.

Mudryk has been on the sidelines, with Raheem Sterling often starting ahead of him, leaving him to manage fringe minutes. His cameos in the last few games have proven that he should now start over the England veteran.

Cole Palmer (No. 20) Right winger, England

Palmer seems to be Chelsea's gold dust, and it would be stupid to not play him if he's fit. He has scored by far the most goals and registered the most assists in all competitions for the west Londoners.

Palmer, in addition to being a major goal threat for Chelsea, is also the Blues' best creator. This means he has the best chance of breaking down stubborn defenses should the club come up against it.

Malo Gusto (No. 27) Right back, France

Gusto would be crucial to this game too, even more so than Palmer. His ability to control the right hand side for Chelsea will prove essential. Gusto's value comes from the fact that he's as good defensively as he is offensively. The right back's tackling is superb, and his ball-carrying is very good, especially for a 20-year-old in the Premier League.

Chelsea lost the League Cup final embarrassingly to a Liverpool side that subbed on three academy graduates before and during extra time. Pochettino will hope that Chelsea reaches another cup final, giving him the chance to still finish the season with silverware.