Chelsea can take a considerable step towards qualifying for next season's Champions Leaguer with victory over struggling Manchester United on Friday night.
The Blues are currently perched in fifth and would secure a return to Europe's premier competition as things stand, but last weekend's 2–0 defeat to Newcastle United leaves them at threat of missing out on a top five finish.
But victory over the Red Devils could see them move three points ahead of Aston Villa depending on their result at home to Tottenham Hotspur on Friday, putting them in a commanding position heading into their final day encounter with Champions League hopefuls Nottingham Forest.
The good news for Chelsea is that Man Utd will have both eyes firmly fixed on their upcoming Europa League final against Tottenham this coming Wednesday. Ruben Amorim's 16th-placed outfit would secure a surprise return to the Champions League by clinching continental silverware, earning some redemption following a truly dismal Premier League campaign.
Man Utd could rotate ahead of the showpiece fixture with Spurs and Chelsea could be the beneficiaries. The Red Devils have failed to win any of their seven league matches since the March international break and won't be excited by the prospect of a Stamford Bridge visit.
Here is Sports Illustrated's guide to the game.
What Time Does Chelsea vs. Man Utd Kick-Off?
- Location: London, England
- Stadium: Stamford Bridge
- Date: Friday, May 16
- Kick-off Time: 20:15 BST / 15:15 ET / 12:15 PT
- Referee: Chris Kavanagh
- VAR: Craig Pawson
Chelsea vs. Man Utd Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
- Chelsea: 1 win
- Man Utd: 2 wins
- Draws: 2
- Last meeting: Man Utd 1-1 Chelsea (November 3, 2024) - Premier League
Current Form (All Competitions)
How to Watch Chelsea vs. Man Utd on TV
Chelsea Team News
Chelsea have issues at centre-forward heading into Friday night after Nicolas Jackson was shown a straight red card in the defeat to Newcastle. The Senegal international is suspended for the rest of the season and his usual replacement Christopher Nkunku is injured. Third-choice forward Marc Guiu is still recovering from his fitness issues and is unable to start against Man Utd.
That leaves Enzo Maresca needing to find an unorthodox solution to his lack of options up top, with Pedro Neto perhaps leading the line. The Portuguese has filled in centrally on several occasions this term.
In better news, Reece James is available after missing training sessions earlier in the week through illness.
Wesley Fofana and Omari Kellyman are injured, while Mykhailo Mudryk is still suspended for failing a drugs test. Jadon Sancho is ineligible to face his parent club.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Man Utd
Chelsea predicted lineup vs Man Utd (4-2-3-1): Sánchez; James Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Lavia; Palmer, Fernández, Madueke; Neto.
Man Utd Team News
Amorim has suggested he will not pick an overly weakened team on Friday in preparation for the Europa League final, but any players with lingering fitness concerns will not be selected at Stamford Bridge.
Man Utd have issues in defence and will be without a number of centre backs in the capital. Matthijs de Ligt, Ayden Heaven, Lisandro Martínez and Leny Yoro are all missing for the Chelsea match and Diogo Dalot is also absent at right back, although some of the aforementioned names could return for the all-important clash with Spurs.
Toby Collyer is suffering with a knock and is unlikely to be risked ahead of the Europa League final, but Joshua Zirkzee is guaranteed to miss the rest of the campaign with a hamstring injury.
Man Utd Predicted Lineup vs. Chelsea
Man Utd predicted lineup vs. Chelsea (3-4-2-1): Onana; Fredricson, Maguire, Shaw; Amad, Mainoo, Eriksen, Amass; Mount, Garnacho; Obi
Chelsea vs. Man Utd Score Prediction
With Chelsea in far greater need of victory at Stamford Bridge and likely facing a somewhat depleted Man Utd starting lineup, they should earn only a second win against the Red Devils since October 2020.
The Blues are desperate for Champions League qualification and their Europa Conference League final with Real Betis doesn't come until after the season's conclusion. While they are missing several important forwards for Friday's battle, they have attacking midfield options capable of filling the goalscoring void.
Man Utd have been in disastrous Premier League form over recent months and are winless in seven in the competition. That's likely to become eight at Stamford Bridge on what would be their 18th defeat of the league campaign.
Prediction: Chelsea 2–0 Man Utd
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Chelsea vs. Man Utd: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.
