Noni Madueke will replace Jadon Sancho in the Chelsea starting lineup against Southampton at St. Mary’s on Wednesday.
Chelsea will aim to continue the excellent unbeaten run when they lock horns with Southampton at St. Mary’s on Wednesday night. And Enzo Maresca has a new injury concern that is hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Wesley Fofana is the latest absentee after the resurgent centre-back picked up a thigh issue this past weekend against Aston Villa. The French defender has joined Reece James and Omari Kellyman on the sidelines, with the duo recovering from hamstring injuries.
Meanwhile, Malo Gusto should be fit and ready to return after Moises Caicedo started as the right-back against Aston Villa. During his pre-match press conference, Maresca spoke about Fofana’s issue and who might replace the Frenchman.
The Chelsea manager said, “We don’t have any update at the moment because it happened two days ago. We need to wait a little bit and hopefully we can get some news in the next days. For sure he will be out for the next weeks.”
Maresca also provided a brief update on Reece James, saying, “It’s the same situation more or less. He is getting better but it’s still weeks to come back.”
The Chelsea manager then addressed questions about Fofana’s replacement, saying, “It depends a little bit on the game plan. Benoit could be one of the solutions but we have Tosin and Axel, different players who can play there. For sure, it’s a big loss because Wes was doing fantastic in every game, but we need to accept and find different solutions.”
Benoit Badiashile should replace Fofana at the heart of the defence, pairing up with Levi Colwill in the central defensive unit. Malo Gusto should return as the right-back, with Marc Cucurella taking his spot on the left flank. Robert Sanchez will take his usual spot between the sticks.
As for the midfield unit, Moises Caicedo should pair up with the resurgent Enzo Fernandez. Cole Palmer will reprise the no. 10 role, while Noni Madueke and Pedro Neto should start as the wide attackers, with Jadon Sancho dropping to the bench. Finally, Nicolas Jackson will lead the line for the away side against Southampton.
Predicted Chelsea XI: Sanchez; Gusto, Badiashile, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez; Madueke, Palmer, Neto; Jackson
