Reece James and Andreas Christensen are in line to start, while Christian Pulisic is back in contention as Chelsea get set to face Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Chelsea will welcome current La Liga leaders Real Madrid to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday as the two teams square off in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final clash.
Leading up to the game, Chelsea have no fresh injury concerns. Thomas Tuchel’s side will be without long-term injury absentee Ben Chilwell for the clash, while Callum Hudson-Odoi is also a doubt. In some positive news, the Blues could welcome Christian Pulisic back after he was pictured in training on Tuesday following his absence in the weekend game against Brentford.
Chelsea vs Real Madrid Preview: Probable Lineups, Prediction, Tactics, Team News & Key Stats
Tuchel will have some important calls to make with regard to his formation and team selection after the shock defeat to the Bees over the weekend. There is a good chance that the German tactician will revert to his favoured three-man backline for Wednesday’s clash against Real Madrid.
Andreas Christensen, who was on the bench against Brentford, should get the nod in defence against Los Blancos. The Dane is touted to join Barcelona at the end of the season on a free transfer. But Tuchel admitted in his presser that all the talk around the defender’s future does not concern him as long as Christensen is fully committed to Chelsea.
As quoted by football.london, Tuchel said, “No concerns. Maybe it is a bit more challenging for him than normal, in a moment where everything is clear or you’re fully committed to the club you play for, which is us and Chelsea. He is our player and we want to have the most of him. He needs to be focused, he needs to be determined, and this is what we expect from him. And I think it is what we can expect from him.”
Alongside Christensen, Thiago Silva and Antonio Rudiger are expected to slot in as the other two central defenders, forming the three-person rearguard in front of goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. Reece James, who returned from injury and featured for half an hour against Brentford, should start at right wing-back for Chelsea, with Marcos Alonso slotting in on the left.
N’Golo Kante, who is reportedly a transfer target for Real Madrid, will line up at the heart of the Chelsea midfield. He will likely be partnered by Jorginho, although ex-Madrid ace Mateo Kovacic is also an option at Tuchel’s disposal. Mason Mount and Hakim Ziyech will be the players donning the creative hat from the attacking midfield slots for the reigning champions of Europe.
At last, leading the line for Chelsea should again be Kai Havertz, who is well ahead of Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner in the pecking order under Tuchel.
Chelsea Predicted XI: Mendy; Christensen, Silva, Rudiger; James, Kante, Jorginho, Alonso; Ziyech, Mount; Havertz
