Chelsea are back in action tomorrow night when they host Brentford in the Premier League.
It’s been a week since the Blues were eliminated from the Champions League against Real Madrid, leaving them with just seven league games remaining to complete a miserable season.
The off-field drama rolls on in the hunt to find the next permanent manager. The Telegraph claimed yesterday that Chelsea are on the verge of appointing Mauricio Pochettino as the next boss at Stamford Bridge.
However, Frank Lampard is focused in the meantime on picking teams for these final few games.
The caretaker manager’s task on Wednesday night is to pick the side to play against London rivals Brentford.
The Chelsea Chronicle has predicted the Blues line-up ahead of tomorrow, which includes five changes from the side that were beaten by Real Madrid.
GK and defence
We think Kepa Arrizabalaga keeps his place in goal this week. The longer-term question will be whether the club decides to keep him next season, though.
Lampard keeps switching between a back three and a back four, and we’ve predicted the latter at home to Brentford.
Reece James is the obvious pick at right-back. Meanwhile, we think Ben Chilwell could return to the side after missing Real Madrid through suspension.
It could be a centre-back partnership of Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile, which is an insight into what the defence may look like moving into next season.
Midfield
It’s a midfield pivot of Enzo Fernandez and N’Golo Kante in this predicted XI.
They’re two players yet to play too much football together in Chelsea colours, but it’s got the potential to be superb if it clicks into gear.
We would certainly like Lampard to play them both together.
Attack
We predict 22-year-old Mykhailo Mudryk returns to the starting line-up this week. He really needs a run of games from now until the end of the season to help him settle.
That could mean Raheem Sterling back in the side on the right wing.
The XI is completed with Joao Felix operating as a playmaker in behind Kai Havertz.
Predicted Chelsea line-up
Kepa
James Fofana Badiashile Chilwell
Fernandez Kante
Sterling Felix Mudryk
Havertz
IN: Benoit Badiashile, Ben Chilwell, Raheem Sterling, Joao Felix, Mykhailo Mudryk
OUT: Trevoh Chalobah, Thiago Silva, Mateo Kovacic, Marc Cucurella, Conor Gallagher