During his match prediction for Chelsea’s trip to Bournemouth this weekend, Paul Merson has claimed he expects one Blues player to make his debut.
Chelsea travel down to the South Coast to play Bournemouth on Saturday in the Premier League.
In recent times, it’s a fixture that Chelsea have quite enjoyed, beating Bournemouth in three of their last four meetings.
Journalist Simon Phillips reports via Substack that Blues midfielder Romeo Lavia is expected to miss the Bournemouth trip. However, he’s in line to return next weekend for the away match at West Ham.
Paul Merson tips Jadon Sancho debut
Paul Merson is anticipating a tough return for Chelsea after the international break when they travel to Bournemouth.
Interestingly, he’s predicted that new signing Jadon Sancho will be handed his club debut at the weekend. The 24-year-old winger does have the advantage that he’s had the last two weeks training at Cobham under Enzo Maresca and his staff.
Merson told Sportskeeda: “This is the hardest game to call this weekend…We don’t know what Chelsea will turn up, they lack consistency. They have a loss, win and a draw from their three games, that explains everything you need to know.
“Chelsea could win games 3-0 or 4-0, or they could lose. I wouldn’t be shocked if Chelsea don’t win this game. It will be interesting to see how Jadon Sancho fits into this team. He hasn’t gone there to sit on the bench so I expect him to start here. If this move fails to work out, it could be a big problem for him and Chelsea.
“I think they will go with Sancho, Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke behind Nicolas Jackson for this game. But I doubt they’ll win.
“Prediction: Bournemouth 1-1 Chelsea.”
Will Jadon Sancho start?
All eyes will be drawn towards Chelsea’s starting line-up against Bournemouth to see if Sancho is thrown straight into the action.
Speaking via Chelsea’s official website, Maresca states Sancho has been exactly what he expected after looking at him in training during the international period. Hopefully, the left-winger has done enough to force his way into contention on Saturday evening.
The biggest obstacle that the Manchester United loanee may run into at Stamford Bridge is the stiff competition for places in the wide areas.
Darren Bent insisted Sancho is a “talented player” earlier this month on talkSPORT, but how quickly can he force his way into Chelsea’s XI?
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