Chelsea go into the game against Newcastle on the back of a rather disappointing draw against Brentford. A goal from Nicolas Jackson and Axel Disasi helped the Blues to a 2-2 draw, but has pushed them to eleventh in the table.
However, a win against Newcastle could prove to be a vital one as that would help them get to 39 points, just one point behind the Geordies with a game in hand. The Blues have some tough games coming up in the Premier League and that is what makes this encounter a vital one. Mauricio Pochettino will be hoping for a strong performance from his squad as the season reaches towards the business end.
With league games against the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspurs and Manchester United remaining, the Blues have no room for error. Although Newcastle are a side that can be dangerous to face, they have had a lot of injury problems this season.
With both teams needing a win, it will be exciting to see how the game pans out. Pochettino has expressed a few injury concerns, which is not great news for the club. With the likes of Levi Colwill, Ben Chilwell, Christopher Nkunku, Benoit Badiashile, Reece James and Wesley Fofana all expected to be indefinitely out, the Blues are not left with a lot of options to field a strong starting lineup. However, below are the players that must start the fixture against Newcastle.