Chelsea are preparing for just their third ever meeting with Dutch giants Ajax, and the two sides would do superbly well to match the quality of their contest from five years ago at Stamford Bridge.
An utterly bonkers affair ended with an equal split of eight goals, with the Blues fighting back against an Ajax side that were a season removed from reaching the Champions League semifinals.
Johnny Heitinga’s current iteration doesn’t appear so potent, and Enzo Maresca has hinted at injury boosts in time for Wednesday’s duel in west London.
While the visitors are without a goal in the league phase, the Blues recorded their first victory last time out and require a win here, given the difficulty of the fixtures that lie ahead.
Here’s how Maresca could set his team up on Wednesday night.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Ajax (4-2-3-1)
GK: Robert Sánchez—While Filip Jörgensen earned plenty of game time during Chelsea’s European campaign last season, No. 1 Sánchez is set to monopolise the Champions League minutes.
RB: Malo Gusto—Gusto’s sending off was a late blemish on Chelsea’s 3–0 win at Nottingham Forest on Saturday, but it makes sense for Maresca to stick with the Frenchman here, given that he’ll miss the next Premier League outing.
CB: Tosin Adarabioyo—Rotation could arrive at the heart of the Blues’ backline, with Josh Acheampong potentially being preserved for the weekend. As a result, the more experienced Tosin could come in.
CB: Trevoh Chalobah—The Englishman was once out of favour in west London, but he’s now Maresca’s most-used centre half after Levi Colwill’s injury.
LB: Marc Cucurella—This could be an opportunity for Cucurella to earn a breather, but the Chelsea boss doesn’t appear particularly fond of the alternatives at left back, including former Ajax captain Jorrel Hato.
CM: Moisés Caicedo—The midfielder helped turn the tide at the City Ground on Saturday, with his presence utterly imperative in Chelsea’s engine room.
CM: Roméo Lavia—Lavia wasn’t great in the first half against Forest, but his partnership with Caicedo was fruitful last season, and the pair should get the chance to pair up again here.
RW: Estêváo—The Brazilian sensation had a productive break, but a long flight back meant he only made the bench at the weekend. He should be ready for a return down the right flank on Wednesday.
AM: Enzo Fernández—He trained on Monday and should be back fit after missing Saturday’s win with a minor injury. Maresca will lean on Enzo to fill Cole Palmer’s void.
LW: Pedro Neto—Neto played a leading role in Chelsea’s latest win, setting up the first before scoring the second. He can play off both flanks, but Neto excels when he gets his head down and reaches the byline.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Ajax: Enzo Returns to Fill Palmer Void.
