Thomas Tuchel has sprung a bit of a surprise by leaving Mason Mount out of his starting lineup as Chelsea take on Manchester City in the lunchtime kick off.
Tuchel looks to have reverted to his favoured back five for the visit to the reigning Premier League champions and Malang Sarr is rewarded for his fine performance in midweek with another start in the top flight, just the second of his career.
He lines up in the central trio alongside Thiago Silva, who starts for the first time since his Covid-enforced absence and having got 20 minutes off the bench in the midweek win against Spurs.
Antonio Rudiger lines up alongside him and with Andreas Christensen ruled out having tested positive for Covid means Sarr is handed his big chance to impress against City's fearsome attack.
N'Golo Kante is back in the Chelsea starting lineup after his own Covid absence and having got minutes off the bench in midweek and he is partnered in midfield by Mateo Kovacic. Jorginho has been left out of the starting eleven and is named among the substitutes.
The front three without Mount is made up of Romelu Lukaku, Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic. Timo Werner and Kai Havertz are on the bench for the visitors.
Kepa starts in goal as he continues to deputise for Edouard Mendy, who is away at the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal.
Chelsea: Kepa; Rudiger, Silva, Sarr, Azpilicueta, Alonso; Kovacic, Kante; Ziyech, Pulisic, Lukaku.
