After a hard fought victory against West Ham United in their opening game of the new Premier League season, Chelsea visit Vicarage Road to take on Watford on Saturday.
Chelsea go into Saturday’s game as favourites after a dramatic win over West Ham in their opening game. Manager Antonio Conte has no new injury concerns ahead of the game. Defender Kurt Zouma continues his recovery from a cruciate ligament injury sustained last season and is not expected to return to action this month.
Cesc Fabregas, who was on the bench against West Ham, looks highly unlikely to start as Conte looks certain to name an unchanged lineup. Brazilian Oscar had an impressive game against the Hammers and will likely retain his position in the starting lineup alongside Nemanja Matic. Eden Hazard and Willian will give the side much needed width while N’Golo Kante will be positioned in a defensive midfield role.
The back four of Branislav Ivanovic, Gary Cahill, John Terry and Cesar Azpilicueta has come under severe scrutiny in recent times and even though Antonio Conte has confirmed that the club are looking to sign a defender before the window closes — as reported by Goal UK — he has retained his faith in the Blues’ quartet.
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is expected to continue in goal as he looks to put a torrid season behind him and prove that he is among the best goalkeepers in the world. New signing Michy Batshuayi could come on as a substitute once again, particularly if the Blues are searching for a breakthrough.
