Raheem Sterling and Cole Palmer will return to the Chelsea starting lineup against Luton Town at Kenilworth Road on Saturday.
Chelsea will hope to start a winning run when they lock horns with Luton Town at Kenilworth Road on Saturday afternoon. And Mauricio Pochettino has greeted a mixed bag of updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Raheem Sterling and Cole Palmer are available after serving their suspensions earlier this week against Crystal Palace. But Romeo Lavia and Mykhailo Mudryk picked up knocks that might keep them on the sidelines this weekend.
Pochettino discussed Lavia’s issue during his pre-match press conference. He said, “Lavia felt something and we need to check and hope it’s not too bad. We are a little bit worried because if you watch the game [against Crystal Palace] I had to change his position with (Conor) Gallagher at the end because he was struggling to run.”
“We will see what is going on. We hope it’s not a big issue and he can be with us again. He’s an important player that we recovered, and it’s going to be a shame if we cannot use him in the next few games.”
Meanwhile, Robert Sanchez (knee), Trevoh Chalobah (thigh), Wesley Fofana (knee), Reece James (hamstring), Marc Cucurella (ankle), Ben Chilwell (hamstring), Carney Chukwuemeka (knee), and Enzo Fernandez (groin) remain in the treatment room.
With Lavia unlikely to start, Conor Gallagher and Moises Caicedo will pair up in the double pivot in the middle of the park. Mudryk might still feature, although he faces a late fitness test to determine his availability.
If he is not fit enough to start, Noni Madueke might get another opportunity. Raheem Sterling, Cole Palmer, and Christopher Nkunku will complete the numbers in the final third. So, Nicolas Jackson will be an option on the bench.
As for the defensive unit, Malo Gusto will deputise for James as the right-back. Thiago Silva and Axel Disasi should pair up in the central defensive partnership, with Levi Colwill featuring on the left flank. Finally, Djordje Petrovic will take his spot between the sticks in the absence of Sanchez.
Predicted Chelsea XI: Petrovic; Gusto, Disasi, Silva, Colwill; Caicedo, Gallagher; Sterling, Palmer, Mudryk; Nkunku
