Chelsea return to Premier League action on Saturday afternoon when they visit Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, aiming to build on the momentum of their impressive victory over Liverpool before the international break.
Enzo Maresca’s side came from behind to beat the reigning champions 2-1 thanks to Moises Caicedo’s long-range strike and a stoppage-time winner from Estevao, the teenage Brazilian who became the youngest from his country to score a Premier League winner.
It was a result that lifted the Blues to seventh, just three points off the top four, and restored belief after a run of inconsistent results.
However, Maresca will serve a one-match touchline ban following his exuberant celebrations against Liverpool, leaving his assistants to take charge in Nottingham.
The Italian will also have to juggle a lengthy injury list, with Cole Palmer ruled out for another six weeks and Benoit Badiashile facing a new setback that keeps him sidelined until December.
Liam Delap, Levi Colwill, Mykhaylo Mudryk and Dario Essugo remain unavailable, while Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Pedro Neto are doubts after missing Thursday’s session.
Reece James has returned to full fitness, and Maresca confirmed that Trevoh Chalobah is back from suspension, giving the visitors a welcome boost as they look to improve their poor away form.
Chelsea have managed just three wins from their last 14 Premier League away games and have collected only 12 points on the road in 2025 — a record the manager knows must change if they are to mount a serious challenge for the Champions League spots.
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Their hosts are enduring a much tougher period. Nottingham Forest have yet to win under Ange Postecoglou, who took charge in the summer, and the Australian is already under pressure with his side sitting one point above the relegation zone.
Forest have lost three successive matches in all competitions and have failed to score in their last two Premier League games, a sequence that has sparked early murmurs about potential replacements for Postecoglou.
Forest’s main issue has been their vulnerability late in matches, having conceded more than half of their goals after the 70th minute since the new manager’s arrival.
Maresca admitted his staff had studied those trends closely but insisted Chelsea must stay adaptable and control the game’s rhythm rather than rely solely on data.
A win for the visitors would mark their fourth in five across all competitions and continue an upward trend after a rocky start to the season. For Forest, victory would not only be their first under Postecoglou but also a much-needed spark to halt their slide towards the bottom three.