Chelsea go into Sunday’s trip to Brentford on the back of three victories in their last four Premier League matches.
The race for Champions League qualification is hotting up this season, so it’s absolutely vital that the Blues keep winning to get back into Europe’s elite club competition.
The Chelsea versus Brentford clash should be interesting after a fiery encounter in the reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge. Enzo Maresca watched his side win against the Bees back in December by a 2-1 scoreline, but the teams could be quite evenly matched at the Gtech Community Stadium.
In terms of absences this weekend, Maresca confirmed via Chelsea’s official website that both Wesley Fofana and Romeo Lavia remain sidelined because of their respective injury problems.
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Chelsea predicted line-up vs Brentford
The Chelsea Chronicle has predicted the Blues XI we’re expecting to see start the match away to Brentford.
Robert Sanchez
Robert Sanchez will start in goal again and bring the confidence from a clean sheet in the previous game. Prior to the international break, Maresca confirmed Sanchez’s status as the first-choice goalkeeper for the rest of the season after regaining his position from teammate Filip Jorgrensen.
Reece James
While Malo Gusto was excellent against Spurs on Thursday at right-back, we’re predicting a bit of rotation in the backline with the return of club captain Reece James to the starting line-up. The Blues head coach has been publicly open in admitting he’ll be cautious with his minutes because of his injury history, but perhaps he’ll get the nod to start this time around.
Trevoh Chalobah
Trevoh Chalobah returned to the starting XI against Spurs in midweek, and we suspect he’s done enough to retain his position because he looked impressive.
Levi Colwill
Like against Spurs, Levi Colwill could keep his starting position at centre-back to partner Chalobah. It’s an extra special combination for supporters to watch because both defenders are products of the Chelsea academy.
Marc Cucurella
Marc Cucurella is one of the first names on the team sheet this season at Chelsea in the left-back spot. Incidentally, Brentford manager Thomas Frank has praised Cucurella ahead of Sunday’s league fixture.
Moises Caicedo
In the entire predicted line-up, Moises Caicedo is the one name that’s perhaps the biggest unknown. Even though he played 90 minutes against Spurs, Caicedo was spotted limping down the tunnel after the game. If the midfielder is fit, it’s quite obvious he starts.
Enzo Fernandez
Enzo Fernandez, the match-winner against Spurs after his headed goal, is really beginning to come into his own in this box-to-box role from central midfielder. He’s managed to cement his spot in the team as a real talisman in the past few months, adding goals and assists to his game.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 36 | 6 | 9 |
Noni Madueke
We’re expecting another change further up the pitch in the wide areas, with Noni Madueke coming into the side as the right-winger. He hasn’t started since early February because of a hamstring problem, but he injected something off the bench against Spurs.
As a result, Jadon Sancho drops out of the XI as Maresca makes a big decision. In a recent interview, Maresca said Sancho’s output can be better because he’s got two goals in 27 Blues appearances this season. We’re a tad worried about the player’s confidence if he does drop to the bench.
Cole Palmer
Cole Palmer will start in his usual No 10 position for Chelsea, where he’s so influential to the team’s forward creativity. Palmer made the Premier League’s Team of the Week after his display against Spurs, which included an excellent assist.
Pedro Neto
Even though Pedro Neto is guilty of blowing hot and cold with his performances, it does feel he’s higher up the pecking order than some of the other wingers at the club. His versatility means he shifts over to the left to face Brentford.
Nicolas Jackson
The return of Nicolas Jackson from injury visibly lifted the attack around him in Thursday’s win. We’re expecting him to build on 82 minutes against Spurs with back-to-back starts on Sunday.
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