Chelsea take on Brazilian side Palmeiras looking to advance and represent the Premier League in the Club World Cup semifinals.
A defeat in the group stage to Flamengo plus two comfortable victories against LAFC and ES Tunis saw Chelsea finish second in the group but land on the more favorable side of the knockout stage bracket. After defeating Benfica in the last 16, no European foes stand in Chelsea’s path to the final.
However, Palmeiras in the quarterfinals aren’t an opponent the Blues can take lightly, especially with the defeat to fellow Brazilian outfit Flamengo still fresh in the memory. El Verdão has been very solid all tournament and will be a worthy rival.
Still, Chelsea are the favorites and anything but qualifying to the semifinals would be considered a massive failure.
Enzo Maresca must work around the suspension of Moisés Caicedo, arguably his most important player. Benoît Badiashille will also miss the match after picking up an injury. However, Nicolas Jackson is back available and needs to have a strong performance with Liam Delap threatening his place on the team.
João Pedro completed his signing and was registered in time, meaning he could make his Chelsea debut, though he’s likely to start on the bench.
Here’s how the Blues could line up vs. Palmeiras at Lincoln Financial Field.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Palmeiras (4-2-3-1)
GK: Robert Sánchez—The Spaniard continues to be extremely shaky with the ball at his feet, but had a strong performance between the sticks against Benfica.
RB: Reece James—Maresca has been extremely cautious with Chelsea’s captain all season, but in a pivotal game, he can’t do without James' quality.
CB: Tosin Adarabioyo—The former Fulham man has been a reliable option all tournament and should return to the XI following Badiashille’s injury. He had a player of the match performance vs. ES Tunis.
CB: Levi Colwill—The Cobham graduate had seven ball recoveries against Benfica and a 96% accuracy in his passes. He’ll look for another strong showing in the quarterfinals.
LB: Marc Cucurella—Cucurella will have to dance with future Chelsea winger Estêvão Willian. It’ll be a tough task but one the Spaniard has more than enough quality to handle.
CM: Andrey Santos—With Moisés Caicedo suspended and Roméo Lavia an injury doubt, it may be time for Andrey Santos to receive his first start.
CM: Enzo Fernández—Fernández will be deployed deeper than he’s been all tournament, likely seeing a lot of Richard Rios in an all Conmebol battle for control over the midfield.
RW: Pedro Neto—Neto has been offered compassionate leave after the death of Portugal teammate and close friend Diogo Jota and will have the final say on his involvement here.
AM: Cole Palmer—Palmer had his best game of the tournament against Benfica, bagging his first goal involvement of the competition. He’ll look to one-up that performance and guide Chelsea to the semifinals.
LW: Noni Madueke—Amid rumors of a possible move elsewhere during the transfer window, Madueke will get the nod on the left wing where he’s been deployed mostly since the Premier League run-in.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Palmeiras: How Will Blues Replace Moises Caicedo?.
