Predicted Chelsea lineup against Leicester City: Kovacic in contention; Havertz, Pulisic start

Mateo Kovacic could be in contention to feature while Kai Havertz and Christian Pulisic are in line to start when Chelsea face Leicester City in the Premier League.

Chelsea will be hoping to take a major step towards achieving a top-four finish in the Premier League when they lock horns with Leicester City at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night.

Heading into the game, manager Thomas Tuchel has reported no fresh injuries but instead hinted that Mateo Kovacic and Andreas Christensen, both of whom missed the weekend’s FA Cup finals against the Foxes, could be back in contention, while also elaborating on his reason to omit striker Tammy Abraham from the matchday squad on Saturday.

Speaking his pre-match presser, Tuchel said: “Kova wasn’t in the squad and when he comes back, maybe I have to eliminate Andreas Christensen because of the number of players. Everyone deserves to be in the squad. I understand Tammy’s frustrations and it wasn’t the first time. We have other guys in the same situation. It’s the moment to live in the moment as these are the decisive weeks of the season.”

Chelsea vs Leicester City Preview: Probable Lineups, Prediction, Tactics, Team News & Key Stats

Chelsea are expected to make quite a few changes to the side that took the field and came up short against Leicester in the final. Starting in goal, Edouard Mendy ought to be reinstated in place of Kepa Arrizabalaga, while there will also be a slight tweak in the backline with Cesar Azpilicueta moving into a centre-back role alongside Thiago Silva and Antonio Rudiger, after starting as a wing-back at the weekend.

This should pave the way for Reece James to return to his natural role as the right-sided wing-back from where he can make a vital difference with his forward forays. There is set to be a change on the opposite flank as well, with Ben Chilwell expected to replace Marcos Alonso in the lineup against his former employers on Tuesday.

Even though Kovacic could be back in contention, given the time he has spent out on the sidelines and considering the importance of this contest, Tuchel is unlikely to switch from the midfield partnership of N’Golo Kante and Jorginho, with the latter in particular hoping to redeem himself after a dull display in the FA Cup final.

Moving into the attacking third, Mason Mount is a certain starter for Chelsea against Leicester given his importance to the side. However, the remaining two positions could see changes as the ineffective duo of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner could be set to make way for Christian Pulisic and Kai Havertz, respectively, on Tuesday night at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea Predicted XI: Mendy; Azpilicueta, Silva, Rudiger; James, Kante, Jorginho, Chilwell; Mount, Pulisic; Havertz.

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