Chelsea welcome West London neighbours Fulham to Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day.
Both teams will be aiming to bounce back from frustrating goalless draws last weekend, after being held by Everton and Southampton respectively.
Chelsea sit second in the table, four points behind leaders Liverpool, heading into the December 26th schedule. Maresca has continued to talk down their title credentials, though Chelsea approach the new year having lost just twice in the Premier League this season.
Fulham make the short trip to Chelsea having also enjoyed a strong start. Only the top three have lost fewer games than Marco Silva’s side (4), who have held Spurs, Arsenal and Liverpool to draws in recent weeks.
Chelsea vs Fulham – Predicted lineup and team news
Chelsea team news
Marc Cucurella is free to return for Chelsea after serving his one-game ban at Everton. The left-back is likely to be reinstated into the starting side at Stamford Bridge.
Romeo Lavia remains out having missed the last two league games. Elsewhere, the clash is set to come too soon for Reece James despite the Chelsea captain’s return to training. Chelsea will take a patient approach with the right-back after a series of setbacks in recent campaigns.
Tosin Adarabioyo will hope to start in central defence against his former club. Adarabioyo left Fulham to sign for Chelsea as a free agent in the summer.
Chelsea predicted lineup
Chelsea predicted XI: Sanchez; Gusto, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandes, Palmer; Madueke, Sancho, Jackson.
When is Chelsea vs Fulham?
Chelsea host Fulham in the Premier League on Thursday 26th December 2024. Kick-off at Stamford Bridge is 15:00 GMT.
What TV channel is Chelsea vs Fulham?
The fixture will be available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.
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