The international break has come to an end and the Premier League is set to resume. Chelsea are gearing up to take on Brentford on Saturday. The Blues might have a chance to go to the top of the table if they manage to secure all three points from the matchup. The majority of the players who were away playing for their national teams have come back fit, barring Dario Essugo.
Additionally, Enzo Maresca will miss Liam Delap for this matchup and Cole Palmer’s availability isn’t clear as of now. The manager will have to tweak his tactics accordingly.
It could be a tough test away from home for a weakened Chelsea side. Here is a look at the predicted starting XI for their matchup against Brentford.
Predicted Chelsea starting XI vs Brentford: Big debut coming
GK: Robert Sanchez - Sanchez has kept his place as the first-choice keeper this season as well. He has already started in the last three matches and has kept two clean sheets. So there’s not much to debate here, and the Spanish international is expected to feature in this one as well.
RB: Malo Gusto - Gusto is likely to be given the nod in the right-back position despite the availability of Reece James, who has just returned after playing for England. This is due to the fact that Maresca will likely not take any excess risk with the English fullback. Moreover, the Frenchman has been dropping some solid performances lately whenever called upon, so there’s no reason why he shouldn’t start.
CB: Trevoh Chalobah - Chelsea’s defensive duo isn’t set for now, with the manager still experimenting with different combinations. This comes following the injury to Levi Colwill. However, in the last three matches, one name was common in the starting lineup. It was Chalobah. He seems to have established his place in the centre-back role in the Blues' defensive line. In the matchup against Brentford, that isn’t expected to change.
CB: Tosin Adarabioyo - Recently, Adarabioyo has appeared alongside Chalobah to take care of defensive duties at the back. He started the last two matches for Chelsea, and it is expected that Maresca will give the nod to him against Brentford as well. That said, there are some other candidates like Wesley Fofana and Josh Acheampong who could replace him if the manager decides to try something else.
LB: Marc Cucurella - Nothing surprising here and it is really a no-brainer. Cucurella, who has been in blistering form recently, will, in all likelihood, start against Brentford. The 27-year-old recently fulfilled his national team duties and appeared in two matches for Spain.
CDM: Moises Caicedo - Caicedo is one of the most-utilised players for Maresca. He is an untouchable starter for Chelsea against Brentford. The Ecuadorian international has played 100% of the minutes possible for the Blues this season and has scored a goal as well.
CM: Enzo Fernandez - Another important member of Chelsea's midfield who is too crucial to be left out of the starting XI. Fernandez will start in the middle of the park as well. He has appeared in all three matches so far, scoring two goals and providing one assist.
CAM: Estevao - Palmer is a doubt for the matchup, having suffered a groin injury recently. Even if he becomes available, it is unlikely the manager will start him. Although this might come as a surprise to a few, we think Estevao will be given the green light to start in Palmer’s place. Although the Brazilian’s primary position is on the right, he can operate in the number 10 role as well. He has already impressed with his performances in the Royal Blue shirt and is edging closer to nailing down a permanent spot in the starting XI.
LW: Alejandro Garnacho - Garnacho was brought in in the closing phase of the summer transfer window. He is a talented individual, but fans do have their concerns with the player after his subpar last season. Anyway, the Argentinian winger is expected to make his debut in the Royal Blue jersey against Brentford. A strong performance in the matchup can help swing the opinions of the fans.
RW: Pedro Neto - One of the most in-form Chelsea players at the moment. Neto has started all the matchups, both on the right and the opposite flank as well. With Estevao shifting to the number 10 role, he will likely start in his natural position.
ST: Joao Pedro - Well, this is a no-brainer, to be honest. Pedro has made a huge impact since joining Chelsea. He is in scintillating form and seems to be able to find the back of the net consistently. So he will start the matchup. Moreover, Delap is missing after picking up an injury against Fulham. Anyway, Pedro has already scored two goals and provided two assists in three appearances. It remains to be seen if he can add more to that tally against Brentford.