Ian Wright says the return of Ben Chilwell and Cesar Azpilicueta to the Chelsea starting XI would solidify the side.
Speaking on the Kelly and Wright Show, Wright offered his opinion about the two defenders and their ability to sure-up Graham Potter’s defence.
Potter will certainly be looking to cover over the cracks that were ripped open by his former side Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend.
The Seagulls smashed four past the Blues on Saturday, taking advantage of a debatable team sent out by the manager who set sail for Stamford Bridge in September.
Where did it go wrong for Chelsea?
Chelsea started with a back-three consisting of Thiago Silva, Trevoh Chalobah and Marc Cucurella, with the latter having the hardest afternoon down by the coast.
Cucurella was once again deployed out of position, owed largely to the injury absences of Wesley Fofana and Kalidou Koulibaly.
With the Spaniard situated in the back-three, Potter opted for a wing-back combination of Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic, a tactic that simply did not prevail.
This was despite having both Chilwell and Azpilicueta on the bench, two players far more accustomed to the wing-back berth.
It would be a huge surprise if Potter made the same mistake again for Chelsea’s next Premier League fixture, the lucrative London derby against Arsenal on Sunday.
Could Chilwell and Azpilicueta return?
To avoid another thrashing, Wright suggested a recall for Chilwell and Azpilicueta could be the difference in the capital this weekend.
“You have to respect the players they’ve (Chelsea) got,” said the iconic striker.
“What Graham Potter has to do now to stop that bleeding quickly and you want to show the fans that, especially at home, that I’m going to make it solid and get us playing well so we can put pressure on an Arsenal side that start very well but maybe they fade.
“So, you want to keep them at bay and then go for them in the second half.
“He’s got the players to do that in respect to Chilwell and Azpilicueta making it more solid.”
Chilwell and Azpilicueta would not only provide more defensive stability, but a greater balance to the team.
Potter might also be able to call upon Koulibaly again, following his return to training.