Chelsea begin their Premier League title defence at Stamford Bridge on Sunday against Crystal Palace, with Enzo Maresca facing a few key selection decisions.
The Blues head into the opener without long-term absentee Levi Colwill, who suffered an ACL injury in training, while Romeo Lavia and Benoît Badiashile continue their recovery.
However, Trevoh Chalobah is expected to be available after limping off in pre-season against AC Milan, and Wesley Fofana could also be in contention.
Maresca must also decide between Pedro Neto and teenage star Estevão on the right wing, while João Pedro and Liam Delap are pushing to lead the line.
Here is our Chelsea Predicted XI vs Crystal Palace.
Chelsea Predicted XI vs Crystal Palace: Team News
Chelsea head into their Premier League opener against Crystal Palace with a mix of positive returns and lingering injury concerns.
Levi Colwill’s absence is the most notable setback as the defender continues to recover from a knock that kept him out for this summer’s pre-season, yet he is not the only player facing fitness issues ahead of Sunday’s clash.
Trevoh Chalobah, who was a crucial part of last season’s defence, limped off in the friendly against AC Milan, but Enzo Maresca confirmed it was only a precaution after the player felt the intense heat.
Romeo Lavia is also still working his way back from a long-term problem and is unlikely to be involved despite steady progress just as Benoît Badiashile who is also managing a minor issue.
Wesley Fofana, on the other hand, has returned to full training after missing the majority of last season with two major injuries.
He did not feature in any of the preseason games against Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan, so his match sharpness is in question, though Maresca hinted he could play some part against Palace.
In attack, Christopher Nkunku is dealing with a minor knock. While it is not considered serious, his situation is complicated by ongoing transfer speculation linking him to Bayern Munich.
These absences leave Maresca with decisions to make, particularly in defence and attack, as he looks to balance Chelsea’s available resources with the demands of their Premier League opener.
Chelsea Predicted XI vs Crystal Palace
There is a strong probability that Enzo Maresca will stick with the same starting XI that featured in the second and final game of Chelsea’s preseason against AC Milan.
One potential area for change, however, could be on the right flank, where Maresca faces a decision between Estevão Willian and Pedro Neto.
Pedro Neto got the nod against AC Milan, but Estevão impressed in his cameo during that game and was equally brilliant in his start against Bayer Leverkusen, where he marked his official debut with a goal.
Chelsea Predicted XI vs Crystal Palace (4-2-3-1): Sánchez; James, Chalobah, Adarabioyo, Cucurella; Caicedo, Enzo Fernández; Neto, Palmer, Gittens; João Pedro.
