Chelsea Unleashes Palmer and James Against Burnley: Injury Crisis Ends as Dream Lineup Takes Shape
Chelsea's positive sequence of fixtures carries on this Saturday afternoon as the Blues welcome Burnley for their Premier League encounter.
This match presents a chance for recovery following Chelsea's collapse from a two-goal advantage in their draw against Leeds United last weekend, which damaged their Champions League qualification hopes.
Luckily, they're up against the Premier League's most porous defensive unit as they seek to recover and put pressure on their Champions League rivals, though Burnley's confidence from their shocking victory over Crystal Palace has been dented by their recent FA Cup elimination by Mansfield Town.
Match Snapshot
Match Snapshot
Team News
Team News
Liam Rosenior has verified that Marc Cucurella will remain sidelined due to a hamstring problem picked up during the Leeds stalemate. The Spanish defender looks set to be substituted at left-back by Jorrel Hato again.
Roméo Lavia is approaching his comeback but with Chelsea taking a cautious approach to his recovery process, the Belgian midfielder seems highly doubtful to feature in the Burnley fixture.
Jamie Gittens, Levi Colwill and Mykhailo Mudryk are verified unavailable for the Blues, while Dário Essugo and Filip Jörgensen will likely be ruled out due to fitness concerns as well.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Burnley (4-2-3-1)
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Burnley (4-2-3-1)
GK: Robert Sánchez—The Spanish keeper shouldn't anticipate a hectic day against struggling Burnley's attack, though he probably had similar expectations before recent encounters with Leeds and West Ham United.
RB: Reece James—Rosenior has verified Chelsea's captain's fitness, who has benefited from an extended break since the Hull City thrashing in the FA Cup. Without midweek commitments for the Blues, James should definitely feature on Saturday.
CB: Wesley Fofana—Josh Acheampong struggled alongside Trevoh Chalobah against Leeds, making Fofana the probable starter for this weekend's match.
CB: Trevoh Chalobah—Chelsea's defensive stalwart will be targeting a first shutout since their mid-January victory over Brentford.
LB: Jorrel Hato—The Dutch defender appears most likely to replace Cucurella in the defensive line, though Rosenior has suggested Malo Gusto as another potential option.
DM: Moisés Caicedo—Chelsea cannot function without Caicedo's reliable defensive work rate, though his involvement may be reduced against Burnley.
DM: Andrey Santos—Santos has earned Rosenior's trust, having previously worked together at Strasbourg. The Brazilian has featured in six of the past seven matches in all competitions.
RW: Pedro Neto—The Portuguese winger dominated at the MKM Stadium in the FA Cup, scoring three goals in Hull's crushing 4–0 loss.
AM: Cole Palmer—Palmer has also been cleared by Rosenior as Chelsea carefully monitor his playing time. The English midfielder has found the net four times in his previous two league appearances—three from penalties.
LW: Enzo Fernández—To accommodate both Santos and Palmer in the starting eleven, Rosenior has deployed Fernández on the left wing in recent matches. Though not his natural position, he remains a vital creative outlet for the Blues.
ST: João Pedro—Few players have gained more from Rosenior's appointment than Pedro, who has netted six times under his new boss. He's established a clear lead over Liam Delap in the striker hierarchy.