Edouard Mendy is set to return but Mason Mount and Christian Pulisic will miss out as Chelsea take on Manchester City in a blockbuster clash on Saturday.
Chelsea will be hoping to strengthen their grip at the top of the Premier League standings when they play hosts to reigning champions Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon.
Having made an unbeaten start to the season, the Blues are riding high on confidence and will be aiming to carry the momentum forward. However, they have been dealt with an injury setback leading into the game as star man Mason Mount has been ruled out of the contest while Christian Pulisic has also failed to recover from his issue as well.
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There is some good news though as Edouard Mendy, who missed the last two games with injury, is back to full fitness and set to start, as confirmed by manager Thomas Tuchel in his pre-match presser. “Christian Pulisic is still out. Mason Mount is also out as this game comes too soon for him, after picking up a minor injury from the Aston Villa match in midweek.
“He has made a big step in his recovery from that, huge progress, but unfortunately not enough to be involved because of the game coming earlier as a 12.30 pm [kick-off] on Saturday. Everyone else is fine and Edouard Mendy is fit from his injury. He is available and will start for us tomorrow,” Tuchel said.
As Tuchel has confirmed, Mendy will be reclaiming his spot between the sticks for Chelsea, replacing Kepa Arrizabalaga. Having set his team up with a four-man defence in the Carabao Cup clash against Aston Villa in midweek, the manager is expected to revert to his preferred 3-4-2-1 setup on Saturday, with Cesar Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva and Antonio Rudiger all returning as part of the three-man backline.
Reece James ought to keep hold of his place on the right side while Marcos Alonso, who has been in top form this term, should get the nod out on the left ahead of Ben Chilwell. In the middle of the park, there is just no looking past the ever-present duo of N’Golo Kante and Jorginho, who will have a battle on their hands against Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden.
Moving into the final third of the pitch, Mount’s unavailability leaves a spot open which could potentially be filled by Hakim Ziyech, although Timo Werner, who scored in midweek, is also an option, with his pace having the potency to cause City problems. Kai Havertz, meanwhile, should return to the lineup, replacing Callum Hudson-Odoi, who started against Aston Villa.
Finally, there is absolutely no looking past star marksman and club-record signing Romelu Lukaku in the No.9 role when Chelsea face Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea Predicted XI: Mendy, Azpilicueta, Silva, Rudiger, James, Kante, Jorginho, Alonso, Ziyech, Havertz, Lukaku.
