Chelsea hope to rediscover their mojo when they welcome Everton to Stamford Bridge in the Premier League this Saturday.
The Blues have fallen away in the push for the Premier League title and have embarked on a four-game winless streak. Two points from their last possible nine have harmed their chances of challenging table-toppers Arsenal, while a midweek defeat to Atalanta has dented their bid for a top-eight Champions League finish.
Everton will prove no pushovers as Chelsea aim to get back on the correct path, with the Toffees only a point behind the Blues having won four of their last five in the Premier League. Enzo Maresca will need to preach caution to his players ahead of a critical encounter.
Here is the lineup he could choose for Everton’s visit.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Everton (4-2-3-1)
GK: Robert Sánchez—Sánchez was named Chelsea’s Premier League Fans’ Player of the Month for November after four clean sheets from six matches, but the Spaniard, like his teammates, has been less effective in December.
RB: Malo Gusto—The Frenchman was only used from the bench midweek as Trevoh Chalobah shifted to right back, with the former Lyon star well rested for the battle with Everton loanee Jack Grealish.
CB: Trevoh Chalobah—Chalobah will return to his preferred centre back role on Saturday and will be tasked with thwarting Everton striker Thierno Barry, who scored his first goal in 17 matches for the Toffees last weekend.
CB: Wesley Fofana—The Frenchman was considered a doubt for the clash with Everton following an eye injury sustained against Atalanta, but Maresca has cleared him for a return to the lineup.
LB: Marc Cucurella—The Spaniard has been a constant in Chelsea’s defence this season as he continues to produce incredibly consistent displays. He will have his hands full with Iliman Ndiaye on Saturday, though.
DM: Reece James—With Moisés Caicedo serving the third and final match of his suspension, James should start in defensive midfield once more. Another terrific individual display caught the eye during defeat in Bergamo.
DM: Enzo Fernández—Fernández took up plenty of advanced positions midweek but struggled to make a significant impact in Italy. He should revert to a slightly deeper role against Everton as Cole Palmer returns.
AM: Cole Palmer—Chelsea are being understandably cautious with Palmer’s reintegration after such a lengthy injury layoff. However, they are crying out for the Englishman’s attacking invention, especially against a stubborn Everton defence.
RW: Pedro Neto—Neto’s raw speed and direct approach should cause major issues for Everton and Vitaliy Mykolenko in particular. The Portuguese has scored in three of his last five Premier League matches.
ST: João Pedro—The Brazilian is guaranteed to start on Saturday following Liam Delap’s injury and will take confidence from scoring midweek. However, he’s scored just twice in the Premier League since the start of September.
LW: Alejandro Garnacho—Jamie Gittens made little impact against Atalanta and is certain to be replaced by Garnacho in the starting lineup against Everton. The Argentine scored a Puskás Award-winning goal against the Toffees back in 2023.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Everton: Midweek Disaster Could Call for Palmer.