Chelsea will be without five players for Saturday’s Premier League clash with Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.
Moises Caicedo will serve the second of a three-match suspension this weekend, while Levi Colwill (knee), Romeo Lavia, Dario Essugo (both thigh) and Mykhaylo Mudryk (suspended) are also unavailable for selection.
After missing 14 games in all competitions through injury, Cole Palmer made a welcome return for the Blues as a second-half substitute in Chelsea’s 3-1 defeat at Leeds United on Wednesday, and head coach Enzo Maresca must now weigh up whether to start the playmaker on Saturday.
Palmer starting in his preferred No.10 role could therefore see Liam Delap drop out of the starting lineup and Joao Pedro pushed into the centre-forward position, while Enzo Fernandez will likely continue in a deeper midfield role and could play alongside captain Reece James, who was rested in midweek.
Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho are both in contention to earn recalls out wide at the expense of Estevao and Jamie Gittens, while Malo Gusto is expected to return at right-back, which would allow Trevoh Chalobah to shift back over to centre-back.
Wesley Fofana could link arms with Chalobah at the heart of the defence, with Benoit Badiashile and Tosin Adarabioyo making way, while Marc Cucurella and Robert Sanchez are set to continue at left-back and in goal respectively.
Chelsea possible starting lineup: Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; James, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Garnacho; Pedro
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