Reigning Premier League Champions will be looking to pull their stuttering campaign back on track when they welcome Southampton at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening, with Blues’ skipper likely to return to the starting lineup.
Jose Mourinho’s side have looked fragile since Portugues tactician dropped captain after losing 3-1 to Everton last month. He did not feature in the midweek defeat to Porto either.
Chelsea are desperately looking for a victory to bridge the gap with other title contenders as last week’s draw against Newcastle has left them eight points behind League leaders Manchester United. The Blues currently sit 14th on the points table.
Meanwhile, Southampton also started their new season in a disappointing manner but a 3-1 victory over Swansea last week helped them climb to the 9th place on League table.
The Saints boss Ronald Koeman will be hoping that his side carries their winning momentum to West London for a positive result in their favor.
Chelsea vs. Southampton Formation & Starting lineups (Predicted):
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Begovic | Azpilicueta, Terry, Zouma, Ivanovic | Matic, Fabregas | Hazard, Oscar, Willian | Falcao
Southampton (4-2-3-1): Stekelenburg; Soares, Fonte, Van Dijk, Bertrand; Wanyama, Davis; Mane, Ward-Prowse, Tadic; Pelle