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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Tony Mogan

Aston Villa vs Chelsea confirmed XIs and team news: Giroud, Kante and Loftus-Cheek start; Abraham on the bench

Olivier Giroud leads Chelsea's attack against Aston Villa this afternoon as the Blues get their Premier League campaign back underway.

The France international is preferred to Tammy Abraham up front with the England international among the subs.

Giroud is joined in the starting XI by countryman N'Golo Kante with Ruben Loftus-Cheek starting his first game for the Blues since May 2019.

Villa are unchanged following Wednesday's 0-0 draw with Sheffield United with Keinan Davis again preferred to Ally Samatta up front.

Aston Villa: Nyland, Konsa, Mings, Hause, Targett, Hourihane, Douglas Luiz, McGinn, El Ghazi, Davis, Grealish

Subs: Taylor, Nakamba, Trezeguet, Borja Baston, Samatta, Jota, Elmohamady, Reina, Vassilev.

Chelsea: Arrizabalaga, Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Christensen, Alonso, Loftus-Cheek, Kante, Kovacic, Willian, Giroud, Mount.

Subs: Barkley, Abraham, Pedro, Caballero, Zouma, Pulisic, James, Emerson Palmieri, Gilmour.

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