Inconsistent is continuing to plague Chelsea, with the momentum gained from an outstanding performance at Tottenham Hotspur sapped by a deflating loss of two Champions League points in Baku.
The 2–2 draw with Qarabag leaves the Blues with plenty of work to do if they’re to claim a place in the round of 16 without having to navigate an extra round. Despite the midweek disappointment, Enzo Maresca defended his wholesale rotation amid criticism from Wayne Rooney.
The Italian will undoubtedly revert to a team similar to the one that lined up in north London last Saturday, with their injury woes failing to ease before the November international break.
Here’s how Chelsea could line up against a Wolves side that are without a win in the Premier League and currently managerless after Vitor Pereira‘s sacking.
Not even the in-form Reece James could prevent Chelsea from dropping points in midweek. / Aziz Karimov/Getty Images
GK: Robert Sánchez—The Spaniard kept his place in the week but was powerless to prevent Qarabag from taking a 2–1 lead. He’ll retain his place on Saturday.
RB: Malo Gusto—Gusto was good against Spurs, and we’ll likely see the dynamic Frenchman regain his place in Maresca’s side.
CB: Wesley Fofana—Chelsea were a mess defensively on Wednesday, and there will be a double change at the heart of Maresca’s defence. Fofana may be no good on the roads, but he’s a mightily talented defender when fit and available.
CB: Trevoh Chalobah—Jorrel Hato’s midweek disaster means we might not see him for a little while, with Chalobah a shoo-in to partner Fofana here.
LB: Marc Cucurella—Cucurella was one of very few outfielders who kept his place from the Spurs win. Maresca trusts one of the world’s best left backs implicitly.
CM: Reece James—The in-form captain has stayed injury-free this season, and Chelsea have reaped the rewards of that and his positional change.
CM: Moisés Caicedo—Roméo Lavia’s early injury meant Caicedo played most of the midweek draw, having starred for the Blues again in the convincing triumph at Tottenham. The Ecuadorian has garnered lofty praise for his performances this season.
AM: Enzo Fernández—Cole Palmer remains out of action, and Maresca has tried a range of solutions to mitigate his absence, with varying degrees of success. Using Fernández as a box-crasher, reducing his defensive responsibilities, has proven pretty effective.
RW: Estêváo—The Brazilian just has to be in the team. He’s the most gifted winger Chelsea have on their books, and supporters will be clamouring for his usage from the start this weekend.
ST: João Pedro—Pedro ended his goal drought last weekend, and his first half strike proved to be the winner as a result of Chelsea’s later profligacy. He played a more withdrawn role in the week, but will likely lead the line against Wolves.
LW: Alejandro Garnacho—With Pedro Neto an injury doubt, Garnacho could start for the third game running. The former Manchester United winger was on the scoresheet in Baku.
Chelsea will be heavily changed from their draw in Baku. / FotMob
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