Chelsea predicted XI vs Liverpool as Romeo Lavia starts and Moises Caicedo decision made

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Chelsea are currently preparing for an important fixture at home to Liverpool on Sunday.

While Liverpool have sealed their status as the 2024/25 Premier League champions with games to spare, Chelsea go into their final top-flight fixtures with so much still on the line.

The Blues have four matches left to keep themselves in the top five positions, which will be enough to secure Champions League qualification.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	LiverpoolLiverpool	34	25	7	2	80	32	48	82
2	ArsenalArsenal	34	18	13	3	63	29	34	67
3	Man CityManchester City	35	19	7	9	67	43	24	64
4	NewcastleNewcastle	34	19	5	10	65	44	21	62
5	ChelseaChelsea	34	17	9	8	59	40	19	60
6	Nottm ForestNottingham Forest	34	18	6	10	53	41	12	60
7	Aston VillaAston Villa	35	17	9	9	55	49	6	60

Enzo Maresca’s side play Liverpool (home), Newcastle United (away), Manchester United (home) and Nottingham Forest (away) in a tense finale to the campaign.

Glenn Hoddle doesn’t think Chelsea will qualify for the Champions League because of their difficult fixture schedule in May.

• READ MORE: Gary Neville has predicted Chelsea will do something against Liverpool they’ve not done in over four years

Chelsea predicted line-up vs Liverpool

The Chelsea Chronicle predicts the Blues XI we’re expecting to see start the match at home to Liverpool.

Robert Sanchez

As long as he’s passed fit to play, Robert Sanchez will start in goal again as the club’s first-choice gloveman. Robert Sanchez didn’t travel to Sweden on Thursday night for the Conference League win over Djurgarden as a precaution because of a bang on the leg he received in last weekend’s league win over Everton.

Moises Caicedo

Moises Caicedo is the only Chelsea player to start every single Premier League match this season, so he’s the first name in the predicted XI. However, there’s a decision for Maresca to make about which position he plays. Like in the win against Everton, we think Caicedo may slot in again as a right-back, although it’s a role that allows him to invert into midfield when the team has possession.

Trevoh Chalobah

Despite the fact Tosin Adarabioyo was excellent at the back in the midweek Conference League win, Trevoh Chalobah will surely get the nod to start again in the league showdown with Liverpool. The way he’s performed since being recalled from his loan at Crystal Palace midway through the season has been admirable.

Levi Colwill

Next to Chalobah, Levi Colwill plays again as the left-sided centre-half. These are the type of games where he needs to prove he can be a long-term option in the Blues defence.

Marc Cucurella

To complete the backline, Marc Cucurella is expected to play again at left-back. Marc Cucurella has been outstanding this season in Chelsea colours, especially with the way he’s added an extra attacking threat to his game.

Romeo Lavia

Romeo Lavia would be making back-to-back starts for Chelsea in the Premier League if he’s included at home to Liverpool. There must be some caution around the deep-lying midfielder because of his poor injury record, but he’s had the week off to recover because he’s not in the Conference League squad. When he plays at the base of midfield, he usually dictates play and improves others around him.

Enzo Fernandez

In his current form, box-to-box midfielder Enzo Fernandez must feel undroppable. The Argentine star is up to 13 assists across all competitions this season after creating another two goals in the Conference League, so he’ll be hoping to provide a threat to champions Liverpool.

Pedro Neto

Pedro Neto may get another chance to play in his preferred role as a right-winger, where he’s such a threat drifting infield on his favoured left foot. Pedro Neto’s debut season at Chelsea has actually included some big moments already, including a late winner against Fulham in April. Hopefully, he’s got something else up his sleeve versus Liverpool.

Cole Palmer

Even though it’s now 18 matches across all competitions without a goal, Cole Palmer is still in Chelsea’s best team as the central attacking midfielder. Perhaps it’ll take a crunch game like Liverpool at home to help him rediscover his best form.

Noni Madueke

The fact that Noni Madueke proved against Everton that he can operate well on the left wing means Maresca has options in the wide areas. On this occasion, we’re tipping Madueke to get the nod to start over Jadon Sancho.

Nicolas Jackson

To complete the predicted line-up, Nicolas Jackson leads the line as the starting striker. His inclusion means it’s the exact same XI that started a week ago against Everton, where the Blues played as well as they have in months. Joe Cole rates Nicolas Jackson as one of Chelsea’s most important players because he brings so much with his all-round play.