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Chelsea make the short journey to the Gtech Community Stadium on Friday for a west-London derby clash against Brentford in the Premier League.
Despite a promising beginning to the Xabi Alonso era, defensive vulnerabilities have hampered Chelsea's momentum in recent weeks. Their wild 6–3 Carabao Cup win over Leeds United was bookended by a loss to Arsenal and a surprising home draw against Hull City.
The Blues need to recover from last weekend's stalemate, but Alonso may be missing several key first-team players for the clash with the Bees. João Pedro has picked up an injury and withdrawn from Brazil's squad ahead of the upcoming international break, leaving him doubtful or potentially ruled out entirely. Moisés Caicedo may also miss another game in midfield.
With that in mind, here's how Chelsea could line up.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Brentford
GK: Emiliano Martínez—The Argentine put in something of a Robert Sánchez-like display against Hull last weekend and will need to be sharper against a dangerous Brentford attack.
CB: Wesley Fofana—Igor Thiago hasn't been quite as prolific for Brentford this season, but his physical presence makes him a real threat for aggressive, attack-minded defenders like Fofana.
CB: Maxence Lacroix—The summer arrival was left out against Hull as Alonso switched to a back four. However, after conceding two goals in another shaky outing, the Chelsea manager should bring Lacroix back into a three-man defensive unit.
CB: Levi Colwill—Colwill was well below his best last time out and should benefit from a return to the 3-4-2-1 formation Alonso typically favors.
RWB: Pedro Neto—Having signed a contract extension last week, Neto appears fully settled into the wingback role assigned to him by the new manager. The Portugal international has been impressive, bombing up and down the flank with great effect.
CM: Reece James—Chelsea could do with some precise James deliveries as they look to break down Brentford. He tops his teammates for accurate passes, long balls, and line-breaking passes per 90.
CM: Roméo Lavia—Caicedo's absence has been keenly felt, even as Lavia finally strings together an injury-free run of starts. The Belgian is a powerful, combative figure, but Caicedo operates on an entirely different level.
LWB: Jorrel Hato—A poor showing against Hull shouldn't put Hato's starting spot at risk, with the Dutchman having excelled as a wingback under Alonso this season.
AM: Cole Palmer—With João Pedro potentially absent, the pressure on Palmer to deliver for the Blues is even greater. He has registered six goal involvements in as many competitive appearances this season, and Brentford may need to assign two or even three players to contain him.
AM: Morgan Rogers—Rogers has made an instant impact at Chelsea, already contributing three goals and four assists across all competitions. Brentford will need a specific game plan to neutralize the Englishman.
ST: Danny Welbeck—Welbeck has netted three times in two starts for his new club and boasts six goals in nine appearances against Brentford. He has found the net in each of his last three encounters with them.