Burnley Set to Battle Chelsea: Match Preview, Bold Predictions and Starting XI Revealed

Chelsea return to action following the November international break on Saturday afternoon, making the trip to Turf Moor for their Premier League encounter against Burnley.

The Blues, currently sitting third, will open the Premier League weekend in Lancashire as they look to maintain their pursuit of Manchester City and Arsenal at the top of the standings. A win against the Clarets would lift them above City and bring them to within three points of Arsenal before those teams play their own fixtures.

Enzo Maresca's squad went into the international break following a triumph over manager-less Wolverhampton Wanderers, though they have experienced occasional stumbles in recent weeks. A home loss to Sunderland and a disappointing stalemate with Qarabağ demonstrate Chelsea's need to address their inconsistent performances.

Burnley, managed by former Chelsea player Scott Parker, will be hoping to cause an upset and have shown their strongest form at home since returning to the Premier League. They have earned seven of their ten points at Turf Moor, suffering defeats only to Liverpool and Arsenal.

The Clarets start the weekend just above the relegation zone on goal difference and will be determined not to slip into the bottom three.

Here is Sports Illustrated's preview of the fixture.

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Burnley vs. Chelsea Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)

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Burnley Team News

Burnley initially feared the worst when summer acquisition Armando Broja was carried off during Albania's loss to England. Nevertheless, Parker has revealed that the former Chelsea forward, who has frequently battled injuries throughout his career, may be available to face his previous club as his ankle problem is less serious than initially believed.

Broja might be accompanied by Lesley Ugochukwu in confronting his former team. The midfielder transferred to Burnley from the Blues during the summer and has been a consistent starter for the Lancashire side, even finding the net twice.

Zian Flemming is the player Chelsea's defense must watch closely. The Dutch player has netted three times in his previous three appearances, including a strike against West Ham United in their most recent outing.

The Clarets continue to be without long-term casualties Zeki Amdouni, Jordan Beyer and Conor Roberts due to injury, though Quilindschy Hartman is ready after overcoming illness.

Burnley Predicted Lineup vs. Chelsea

Burnley predicted lineup vs. Chelsea (5-3-2): Dúbravka; Walker, Laurent, Tuanzebe, Estève, Hartman; Ugochukwu, Cullen, Florentino; Flemming, Anthony.

Chelsea Team News

Cole Palmer is among the key players in the Chelsea medical bay and he's experienced another complication during an injury-plagued campaign. The England international was nearing a return from an ongoing groin issue, but has now broken his toe in an unusual domestic incident, sidelining him for the upcoming fixtures.

More positively for Maresca, Enzo Fernández and Pedro Neto have been cleared to participate in Saturday's match despite missing international duty through injury. Benoît Badiashile might also feature having recovered quicker than anticipated from his muscular complaint.

Nevertheless, the injury-susceptible Roméo Lavia remains sidelined and is expected to be unavailable until mid-December, while Levi Colwill and Dário Essugo are also missing with extended problems.

Mykhailo Mudryk continues to be temporarily suspended following a positive drug test.

Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Burnley

Chelsea predicted lineup vs. Burnley (4-2-3-1): Sánchez; Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernández; Estêvão, Pedro, Garnacho; Delap.

Burnley vs. Chelsea Score Prediction

Burnley have shown resilience since their return to the Premier League—along with their fellow promoted clubs—but they have lost all five encounters against the established 'Big Six' teams this season. They suffered heavy defeats to Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, were convincingly beaten by Arsenal, and lost in added time to Liverpool and Manchester United.

The Chelsea fixture concludes a challenging sequence of games and they will be determined to claim a point or more, but the Blues are strong favorites for good reason.

Despite potentially having one eye on forthcoming matches against Barcelona and Arsenal, Maresca possesses the talent and squad depth to overcome Burnley comfortably. They're unlikely to score five or six against their hosts, but should cruise to a relatively comfortable victory.

Prediction: Burnley 0–2 Chelsea