Reece James could make his first Premier League Chelsea start since the opening weekend, while Enzo Fernandez will return to the midfield against Tottenham.
Recent results have outlined the struggle to get relevant results in the Premier League, as Mauricio Pochettino will hope his return to Tottenham will have a positive outcome for Chelsea. The Blues will want to show their class with another top performance against a top side this season, but only this time take a win.
Pochettino gave some fitness updates about some of his returning stars during his pre-match press conference, especially about captain Reece James and striker Armando Broja.
James last started a Premier League game on the opening weekend against Liverpool and has since been sidelined with another hamstring problem. He has made two cameo appearances in the league against Arsenal and Brentford but started for the first time in Chelsea’s EFL Cup win over Blackburn.
When asked whether James was ready to start back-to-back games, Pochettino gave a cautious outlook but insisted he would decide after a final assessment of his captain’s fitness. He said, “I don’t know. We’ll see first of all if he is available and then if my decision is to play with him from the start.”
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“He was okay after playing an hour against Blackburn. I think it was good for him to start the game and to feel him there again after a few months for the team, because he is our captain and he is a very important player. Now we need to assess him, if he’s ready or not to start on Monday.”
Meanwhile, striker Broja has returned to training after a prolonged period out of the team. The Albanian picked up a knee issue during the previous international break, but he is inching closer to making it into the matchday squad.
On Broja, Pochettino said, “It’s good because today we were talking, and maybe he will be available to be on the bench for Monday. “He was training today and before in the last few days and doing well. I hope that he can be involved in the game, but still, it’s not confirmed.”
Pochettino can also count on the availability of French defender Benoit Badiashile, who started for the first time this season and scored against Blackburn Rovers. The Chelsea boss may not want back-to-back starts for his recently returned star, meaning he will likely revert to his tested formula, with James at right-back.
Levi Colwill and Thiago Silva will resume their central defensive partnership, with Marc Cucurella the current choice to start at left-back. The return of Enzo Fernandez in midweek certainly pins him for a starting spot against Tottenham, as Pochettino will revert to a midfield three along with Conor Gallagher and Moises Caicedo.
Cole Palmer remains Pochettino’s optimal choice to start on the right side of the front three. At least until Broja returns to full fitness, the Chelsea boss will continue to rely on Nicolas Jackson as his leading striker, with Raheem Sterling nailed down on the left-hand side.
Predicted Chelsea XI: Sanchez; James, Silva, Colwill, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo, Gallagher; Palmer, Jackson, Sterling
