Chelsea face Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium this afternoon
Premier League action rolls on as Chelsea make the trip to the south coast of England to face Bournemouth this afternoon. It is a second difficult away match in the space of three days for the Blues and they are seeking to bounce back from defeat at the hands of Leeds.
Enzo Maresca rung the changes for the midweek fixture, a decision that ultimately back fired on the Chelsea head coach as his side were well beaten at Elland Road with their title credentials being questioned as a result. That said, the west London outfit are in decent form overall having beaten Barcelona and drawing with league leaders Arsenal as part of a seven-game unbeaten run - before it was broken.
The Cherries, meanwhile, are in a bad moment. Tuesday night's 1-0 loss to Everton was their fourth defeat in five which has seen them slip down the table as the loss of important players in the summer appears to be taking its toll. Follow Bournemouth vs Chelsea LIVE below with Standard Sport's dedicated match blog, featuring expert insight and analysis from Dom Smith at the Vitality Stadium!
Bournemouth team news
The Cherries will be without Tyler Adams because of suspension after the versatile midfielder was cautioned for a fifth time in the Premier League this season against Everton.
Lewis Cook serves the second of his three-match ban after being shown a red card in the loss to Sunderland.
Ben Gannon-Doak and Ryan Christie are out injured, but Marcos Senesi and David Brooks are available for Bournemouth again after serving bans. Veljko Milosavljevic is a major doubt and Matai Akinmboni is out.
Chelsea team news: James to be recalled
Chelsea remain without Moises Caicedo because of suspension, while Dario Essugo, Romeo Lavia and Levi Colwill are all out injured.
Reece James and Wesley Fofana are expected to be recalled to the starting XI after being rested against Leeds.
Cole Palmer could make his first start since September 20.
REUTERS
How to watch
***TV channel and live stream:***In the UK, the game will not be televised live as it lands during the 3pm Saturday blackout.
***Live coverage:***You can follow all the action right here via Standard Sport’s live blog, with expert analysis from Chelsea correspondent Dom Smith at the ground.
Free highlights: The Sky Sports app and YouTube channel will show highlights from 5.15pm GMT, with Match of the Day broadcasting on BBC One at 10.20pm.
Bournemouth vs Chelsea live
Hello and welcome to Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of Bournemouth vs Chelsea!
Can Chelsea bounce back from the midweek disappointment against Leeds? Enzo Maresca's side had been unbeaten in seven matches across all competitions prior to visiting Elland Road and will be out to prove the result was just a minor blip.
We’ll have all the latest updates, build-up and team news right here ahead of kick-off, which comes at 3pm GMT from the Vitality Stadium. Stick with us!