Chelsea host Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon in the Premier League and go into the contest after a midweek victory against Lille that booked their spot in the Champions League group stages.
The Blues now need to focus on rediscovering their best league form, as they have lost three of their last four top-flight games and are losing grip of fourth place.
Manager Frank Lampard now needs to pick a team that can go get three points at Stamford Bridge and there should be an extra motivation ahead of the weekend.
Chelsea suffered a crushing 4-0 away defeat back in January the last time they played Bournemouth and need to exact some revenge.
Lampard should make three changes to his team from the Lille win to give his team some fresh legs.
Kepa Arrizabalaga (Goalkeeper)
Blues number one Kepa should retain his spot in goal and hope for a much better game than his previous encounter with Bournemouth. The Spaniard is a promising goalkeeper still aged just 25, but he can’t seem to buy a clean sheet now and could do with one at the weekend to build up his confidence.
Reece James (Right-back)
—Replace Cesar Azpilicueta—
Despite the impressive form of club captain Azpilicueta lately, he should be given a rest against Bournemouth and drop down to the bench. It looks like a game made for attack-minded full-back James, as he should have plenty of possession and look to put some dangerous crosses into the penalty area.
Andreas Christensen (Centre-back)
—Replace Antonio Rudiger—
Rudiger’s comeback against Lille was most welcomed, but it would be too risky to ask him to start another game just a few days later as he gets back to full match fitness. Meanwhile, it’s unclear on Fikayo Tomori’s availability as he missed Lille with a hip problem. Christensen is a solid option that could come back into the XI and has a point to prove with competition rising.
Kurt Zouma (Centre-back)
Chelsea’s enforcer Zouma should keep his spot in the side and there are many who feel he should be an ever-present. He has been a regular under Lampard so far this season, but it will be interesting to see if that continues when all four senior centre-backs are available.
Emerson Palmieri (Left-back)
Emerson returned to the team against Lille in impressive fashion and the natural left-back gives the team a much better balance when he start. There is still plenty for him to work on with his game, but his pace will be useful against a quick Bournemouth on the counter attack.
Mateo Kovacic (Central midfielder)
Kovacic is in the Chelsea form of his life right now and has to be one of the first names that springs to mind when Lampard picks his team. The Croatian midfielder has found his range in front of goal recently with two goals and he should run the show on Saturday.
Jorginho (Central midfielder)
Jorginho should keep his spot in the team from midweek, but it would be a return to the league after starting the last two league games on the bench. The Italian deep-lying playmaker has now had time to recharge his batteries and he leaves a massive gap when he is left out.
N’Golo Kante (Central midfielder)
Kante is perhaps the one Chelsea player in the squad that fans don’t need to worry about when it comes to his freakish stamina, although Lampard should keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn’t burnout. He is still performing at an incredible level every game and the club are so fortunate to have him.
Christin Pulisic (Right-winger)
Pulisic should retain his spot in the side and he can operate from the right flank, as he’s got the versatility and can torment any full-back with his sensational dribbling. The American attacker will be looking to end his mini four-game drought without a goal and will be a major threat if he’s on his A-game.
Tammy Abraham (Centre-forward)
Abraham continues to go from strength to strength in the central role and the number nine shirt isn’t phasing him in the slightest. The English striker has 13 goals across all competitions so far and should fancy profiting against a Bournemouth team that can leak goals.
Mason Mount (Left-winger)
—Replace Willian—
Willian is one of the senior players in the group that could perhaps do with a rest due to the sheer volume of fixtures and using him as a substitute late on could work wonders. Mount is starting to get back into favour under Lampard and his high pressing should be introduced to get at Bournemouth. He’s received some unnecessary stick at times this season from fans and everyone needs to remember he’s only aged 20.