Chelsea are aiming to take advantage of Liverpool’s sub-par form when they welcome the reigning Premier League champions to Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
The Reds have been uncharacteristically sloppy in recent outings, losing successive games for only the second time under Arne Slot in defeats at Crystal Palace and Galatasaray. Chelsea are not in exceptional form themselves, but will be eager to capitalise on a rare moment of weakness for Liverpool.
Injuries and suspensions are Chelsea’s largest barrier to success this weekend, with Enzo Maresca revealing “seven or eight players” will be missing from his squad. A series of defensive absentees will make life immensely difficult for the Blues against Liverpool.
Here’s how Maresca could line his injury-stricken side up on Saturday.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Liverpool (4-2-3-1)
GK: Robert Sánchez—Sánchez conceded three to former employers Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend but earned a confidence-boosting clean sheet against Benfica in the Champions League midweek.
RB: Reece James—James has made a positive impact in recent weeks amid a troubling run of form for the Blues and the powerful right back will be key to keeping Cody Gakpo quiet on Liverpool’s left wing.
CB: Benoît Badiashile—Trevoh Chalobah’s red card against Brighton only exacerbated Chelsea’s defensive issues, but the Blues were pleased to welcome Benoît Badiashile back to the starting lineup against Benfica.
CB: Jorrel Hato—Injuries to Tosin Adarabioyo, Wesley Fofana and Levi Colwill leave Maresca incredibly short on central defensive options. The versatile Hato is likely to partner Badiashile against Liverpool’s star-studded attack.
LB: Marc Cucurella—Cucurella vs. Mohamed Salah will be an interesting battle down Chelsea’s left-hand side, with the Spaniard thwarting the Egyptian admirably in the most recent clash between the teams.
DM: Moisés Caicedo—Liverpool could certainly use Caicedo’s defensive awareness and combative approach at the moment, with the Ecuadorian unlikely to be concerned by the out-of-sorts Florian Wirtz.
DM: Enzo Fernández—Fernández scored against Liverpool in the most recent duel between the teams at Stamford Bridge and could make a telling contribution with his box-crashing runs on Saturday.
AM: Facundo Buonanotte—The absence of Cole Palmer causes Chelsea major issues and leaves them short of attacking midfield options given injuries elsewhere in the team. Buonanotte will do his best to get the better of Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister.
RW: Estêvão—Milos Kerkez has struggled early in his Liverpool career and could be replaced by Andy Robertson this weekend. If so, Estêvão’s pace should cause the Scotland international issues.
ST: João Pedro—The Brazilian took Chelsea’s red card tally to three in four matches midweek, but his late dismissal against Benfica has no impact on his Premier League availability for Liverpool’s visit.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Liverpool: Depleted Side Relies on Fernandez, João Pedro.
