Chelsea are already assured of a spot within the Champions League final 16 as group winners, and the competitors has offered a few of Graham Potter’s most convincing performances since beginning the job.
They brushed apart AC Milan house and away, albeit with the assistance of an early Fikayo Tomori pink card at San Siro, and created loads of probabilities in an entertaining victory at Purple Bull Salzburg final week. Chelsea followers are rising involved with the extent of their Premier League performances, however Potter has carried out the whole lot requested of him in Europe.
He didn’t inherit an easy state of affairs within the group both, partly as a result of Chelsea misplaced their opening match in opposition to tonight’s opponents Dinamo Zagreb. That might show Thomas Tuchel’s final sport in cost, earlier than Potter launched into an unbeaten run to start out his tenure. That unblemished report was delivered to an emphatic finish on his return to Brighton on Saturday, and the consequence was arguably within the submit after scratchy shows in opposition to Brentford and Manchester United.
Chelsea are sorely lacking the injured Reece James, with Wesley Fofana and N’Golo Kante additionally sidelined. Kepa Arrizabalaga was in glowing type however is one other on the harm record, giving Edouard Mendy an opportunity to regain the No 1 place. Stern assessments await with Arsenal and Newcastle United within the league both aspect of Manchester Metropolis within the Carabao Cup upcoming, so Potter might effectively take the chance to rotate tonight (he tends to do this anyway).
The Chelsea gamers who get the possibility to place their ft up might give us a clue as to who will begin in opposition to Arsenal on Sunday. The pre-match chat for that fixture will likely be dominated by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, however will he even make it into Potter’s beginning XI?
“I do not suppose it is a time to be utilizing younger gamers only for the sake of it,” Potter stated.
“I feel we have now to be aggressive and we have now to be respectful of the competitors that also groups are on the lookout for factors for their very own qualification.
“So from our perspective we have now to try to consider a workforce that we predict will win the sport. We have used a variety of younger gamers, a variety of them have been spectacular, I like their character, I like their character and it has been an vital a part of how we have began right here at Chelsea – to get nearer to the academy guys and to get to know them.”
Full workforce information on the way in which shortly.