Here's the Tottenham team that Roberto De Zerbi has selected to face Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday evening
Mateus Fernandes has managed to prove Roberto De Zerbi's strange Tottenham theory wrong twice
Mateus Fernandes has been named by Roberto De Zerbi in his Tottenham line-up to face Chelsea(Image: (Photo by Shaun Brooks - CameraSport via Getty Images))
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Roberto De Zerbi has given his £85million midfielder Mateus Fernandes a start in a big match as Tottenham look to overcome their Chelsea hoodoo.
The 22-year-old, who became a father last week, has struggled for starts since his summer transfer from West Ham but De Zerbi has put his faith in the Portuguese on Saturday, starting him in a midfield that also contains Sandro Tonali and James Maddison, making back-to-back starts.
Spurs have won just once in 41 matches at Stamford Bridge in all competitions and the current crop of players will be looking to change that gloomy record.
Pedro Porro returns from his hamstring injury to take his place on the bench with young midfielder Archie Gray returning to his right-back spot for now until the World Cup winner is fully ready to get going.
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Up front Omar Marmoush starts with Dominic Solanke on the bench while Frenchman Mathys Tel comes back into the team on the left of the attack. Dejan Kulusevski takes his place on the bench again after the Swede's first appearance in 17 months in the 3-1 win against Coventry.
Here's the Tottenham side De Zerbi has selected:
Kinsky; Gray, Van Hecke, Van de Ven, Robertson; Fernandes, Tonali; Kudus, Maddison, Tel; Marmoush. Subs: Dubravka, Senesi, Porro, Davies, Gallagher, Kulusevski, Olusesi, Solanke, Williams-Barnett.