In an interesting twist, this game comes about with Newcastle United in the top four with their opponents occupying a Europa League spot. What will the Chelsea lineup be as they attempt to regain some form ahead of the World Cup break?
Chelsea Lineup Prediction for Top-Six Clash with Newcastle
We're set for St James' Park. 😤 pic.twitter.com/uMFh7KoiNZ
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) November 11, 2022
How Chelsea Have Lined-Up Recently
Injuries have left Graham Potter with very few options in certain areas of the pitch. Edouard Mendy, Thiago Silva, Trevoh Chalobah, Marc Cucurella and Kalidou Koulibaly are almost guaranteed to start but beyond that, the English manager has been known to chop and change in an attempt to find his best eleven.
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Lewis Hall impressed in midweek which could see him stick around but it’s unlikely he starts again.
A record League Cup attendance at St James' Park tonight of 51,660 🤯
Incredible support 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/3DXBCSMpGI
— FUN88 (@fun88eng) November 9, 2022
Chelsea Recent Form and Tactics
Chelsea have fluctuated between a 3-4-3 and a 4-3-3 in recent games. Injuries to wing-backs Ben Chilwell and Reece James have reduced the effectiveness of the 3-4-3 and other variants, but the 4-3-3 leaves the team frail at the back.
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The Blues are without a win domestically in their last five games and they have gone almost an entire month without a League win.
Chelsea Injuries to Consider
Well, where to start? The current injured list at Stamford Bridge is extensive. Kepa Arizabalaga, Wesley Fofana, Chilwell, James, Carney Chukwuemeka and N’Golo Kante are all absent which has wreaked havoc on the first team. Jorginho is also a shoulder shrug for this game.
There’s almost no way of knowing what this side will look like at its best under Potter due to the onslaught of injuries since his appointment.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup
We think there’s a chance that the 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 rears its head with three central defenders fit. Our predicted lineup is as follows:
GK – Edouard Mendy
LWB – Marc Cucurella
CB – Kalidou Koulibaly
CB – Thiago Silva
CB – Trevoh Chalobah
RWB – Cesar Azpilicueta
CM – Mason Mount
CM – Mateo Kovacic
CM – Ruben Loftus-Cheek
AT – Kai Havertz
AT – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
AT – Raheem Sterling
Current Odds: Newcastle United vs Chelsea
The home side come in as the favourites with SkyBet with odds of 5/4. The away side is trailing just behind with odds of 21/10.