Chelsea are just days away from their new Premier League season finally getting underway, and their manager will already have a good idea on who is going to start the game for the Blues.
They will be welcoming FA Cup and Community Shield winners Crystal Palace to Stamford Bridge, and are no doubt raring to go after a successful two pre-season fixtures.
Joao Pedro and Liam Delap are fighting for a start up front, with there a possibility that both begin the game in West London after enjoying strong starts at their new clubs.
Another position that is set to have competition for places is centre-back, even after the serious injury suffered by Levi Colwill that will rule him out for months.
Chelsea FC v Bayer 04 Leverkusen - Pre-Season Friendly
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Enzo Maresca must start Tosin Adarabioyo for Chelsea against Crystal Palace
Trevoh Chalobah is expected to be fit, while Wesley Fofana has also been tipped to return, however Tosin Adarabioyo could hold the key to nullifying Palace’s biggest threat on Sunday afternoon.
With 30 goals across the past two Premier League seasons, Jean-Philippe Mateta has emerged as one of the more talented strikers the league has to offer.
With him finding the net in the Community Shield, as well as multiple times in pre-season, it looks as if he is going to be in a similar vein of form when the new league season gets underway.
Standing at 6 foot 4 inches, the Frenchman offers a significant physical threat to the Blues, however the 6 foot 5 inch Tosin would help nullify that.
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Despite the young Chelsea side learning on the job, the free signing remains the most senior member of the outfield squad, and would bring experience to a side looking to start the new season with a win.
Jean-Philippe Mateta celebrates during Crystal Palace v Liverpool - 2025 FA Community Shield
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Tosin’s Chelsea future
Despite clearly playing a key role both on and off the pitch at Stamford Bridge, there is still no real clarity over the defender’s long-term prospects at the club.
It has been reported this summer that Chelsea are open to the sale of Tosin for the right price, with there a significant amount of profit to be made on a player who didn’t cost them a transfer fee.
Chelsea fans are firmly against the sale of Tosin, seeing him making a real impact in the 12 months he has been there, and the injury to Colwill should put an end to any talk of an exit.
Reports have claimed that Chelsea could enter the market again for another defender, with Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Piero Hincapie linked with the club.