Antonio Conte has decided to name an unchanged starting eleven from their 5-0 mauling of Everton, against Middlesbrough as Chelsea aim to grab an opportunity to go top of the table with a win.
The onus will be on the in-form Eden Hazard, who was recently rewarded for his fine form with a Player of the Month award for his performances in October. John Terry is on the bench again as Gary Cahill is chosen as the captain to lead the team on the pitch.
Chelsea Confirmed Lineup vs Middlesbrough: Conte names an unchanged eleven
Chelsea team v Middlesbrough: Courtois; Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Cahill (c); Moses, Kante, Matic, Alonso; Pedro, Diego Costa, Hazard. #CFC
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) November 20, 2016
Chelsea subs today: Begovic, Ivanovic, Terry, Chalobah, Fabregas, Oscar, Batshuayi. #CFC
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) November 20, 2016
Middlesbrough team: Valdes, Barragan, Chambers, Gibson (c), Da Silva, Traore, Forshaw, Clayton, De Roon, Ramirez, Negredo.
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) November 20, 2016
Middlesbrough subs: Guzan, Espinosa, Fischer, Nsue, Leadbitter, Downing, Rhodes.
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) November 20, 2016
All eyes will be on Middlesbrough’s defender Ben Gibson, who has been rigorously linked with a move to Chelsea and the game could very well serve as an audition as he leads his side out against Conte’s men.