Enzo Maresca was very coy on whether he would rotate his Chelsea team for when they take on bottom-of-the-league Southampton on Wednesday night.
The Blues are looking for their fourth successive victory in all competitions and take on a Saints side that sit rock-bottom of the Premier League table with just five points to their name from the opening 13 matches. After playing against Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon, the turnaround is extremely quick for Maresca and his players - but the head coach did not want to discuss his plans regarding a line-up too much when asked on Tuesday morning.
He said: "We had yesterday's session where the guys that played had a recovery. Now, this afternoon, we have one more session and then we decide."
With that being said, football.london writers Bobby Vincent and Joe Doyle discuss and debate what they would do down on the south coast. Let us know if you agree with either in the comments section below this article.
Bobby Vincent
Robert Sanchez did not really do anything wrong on Sunday afternoon but if you ask me who I would personally start at St Mary's, the answer is still Filip Jorgensen. Malo Gusto could return to right-back with Moises Caicedo set to move back into midfield.
The injured Wesley Fofana could be replaced by Benoit Badiashile, while Romeo Lavia may be handed a rest in midfield. The form of Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, who are expected to be asked to go again, means Chelsea have the luxury of doing this with the Belgian, who moved to Stamford Bridge from Southampton in the summer of 2023.
The fitness of Jadon Sancho is always one that Maresca seems to be cautious about. Sancho played well at the weekend but could drop to the bench with Noni Madueke taking his place and Pedro Neto moving back out to the left-hand side instead.
Bobby's XI : Jorgensen; Gusto, Colwill, Badiashile, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Madueke, Palmer, Neto; Jackson.
Joe Doyle
I've said it a few times in recent weeks, but for me Filip Jorgensen deserves to start over Robert Sanchez in goal. There have been debates, but I don't think the Spanish keeper has been good enough or consistent enough to retain the No.1 spot.
In defence, it's a bit of a tricky one given the schedule and latest injury news. With the Conference League participation this season, Enzo Maresca has had the luxury of rotating his team most midweeks, and up against the Premier League's bottom side, I think he could afford to rest a couple of players to have them in the best shape for a tough clash against Spurs at the weekend.
For me, Malo Gusto comes in at right-back with Benoit Badiashile partnering Levi Colwill in defence. And while Marc Cucurella has been in fine form, I think giving Renato Veiga a run-out at left-back could be a good decision, given he hasn't made an appearance in the league since playing against Liverpool back in October.
In midfield, I think Enzo Fernandez has done enough to keep his place in the starting XI, and I'd probably pair him with Moises Caicedo. Chelsea are likely to dominate possession here, and Fernandez may be the Blues' most talented central midfielder with the ball at his feet.
In attack there are a couple of areas up for discussion. I think I'd probably bring Noni Madueke in for a start, particularly if he isn't going to be in the XI vs Tottenham. That allows Jadon Sancho a rest as he continues to get up to speed.
While Cole Palmer probably doesn't have to start, it's probably wise to maintain a little consistency in attack, so he plays instead of Christopher Nkunku in the No.10 role. And on the left flank, I think Pedro Neto starts - but if the Blues are ahead after an hour I'd sub him to give him a bit of a rest ahead of the weekend.
Up front, I don't think you can rotate Nicolas Jackson at the moment. When strikers are flourishing, you keep them in.
Joe's XI: Jorgensen; Gusto, Badiashile, Colwill, Veiga; Caicedo, Fernandez; Madueke, Palmer, Neto; Jackson.
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