Fruity66

Not sure this will be the exact starting line up but won't be far off.... i reckon it will be Caballero, James, Guehi, Zouma, Maadsen/Alonso, Gilmour, Barkley, McEcharan/Van Ginkel (If fit why not play him?), Pulisic, CHO, Bats Bench: Cumming, Lamptey, Tomori, Anjorin, Pedro, Giroud, Uwakwe/Brown. If Van Ginkel is fit, i'd play him... there isn't much too lose... he's a creative midfielder with International Experience and takes the pressure off us needing to play Jorginho/Mount/Kovacic.. Contract is up at the end of the season and realistically should be too good for Grimsby. Realistically, he would allow us to play both Gilmour/G McEcharan or switch out Barkley early on. BUT... no one seems to know if he's fit or even returned from injury. Tomori to cover incase of injury but to be honest with us playing at home on a good pitch it should give us a chance to play a weakened team and give players experience.

Doubt we will see CHO or James as neither played last night in the PL2 game although Bats and Rudiger did... Bats got a double but missed a hat full of chances. On another point, Guehi, Castillo, Maatesen and especially Anjorin played very well.

Jovic? sounds like Zidane has already written him off (god that bloke is a bad manager - from man management perspective). Could try and pick him up on the cheap? Tammy and him would be a decent forward grouping. Plus hopefully would leave cash to go after other targets such as Chilwell, Sancho, Rugani/Koulabily etc.

Isn't Christensen homegrown as well?

Little bit harsh on Chalobah surely? I mean it's one game and the lad has trained with the England senior team. There must be some talent there if he's getting called up with Mount etc. I have the feeling that he and Sterling have gone back to go on loan for their own good rather than not being good enough. Brown is at a weird cross roads where you can see there is a talented player there but needs 30+ games starting rather than being a in and out player for teams such as Brighton/huddersfield/Leeds etc. Sell him with a buy back clause maybe.

The potential that James & CHO will be back for early season/pre season really do feel like new signings in some ways. With them included as well as Abraham, Mount, Da Silva and Tomori is fantastic. Zouma & Bats too gotta love it.

Kinda hope he's in the squad purely because he actually wants to play for us... We have had so many talented strikers without the passion for the club so nice to see one whose desperate to play for us.

do we have choice though this year if the ban is in play? Thought he played well last night though.

Go with Giroud and Tammy/Bats as back up. Giroud lets our attacking players play off him well and Pedro, CHO, Willian love cutting inside off a main striker.

Well done Guehi, would be nice to see him get on... wouldn't have minded Gilmour, Redwan or McEachran on bench to maybe take pressure off some players as game goes on.

Reece and Trevor can't play against Leicester but Redwan and Gilmour can I believe. Whether those two and Nartey will play is another question.

Question, If Arsenal get the Champions League spot and lets say for example, beat us in the final of EL. Do we get Champo League as they have already qualified?

Cheers STATS, very kind.

If you take training photos into account, Mail shows obviously all the normal lot training but also two i couldn't quite recognise https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6558503/Chelseas-young-stars-train-eye-chance-impress-FA-Cup.html (1st one in photo behind CHO/Moses) and (2nd tackling RLC) any clue who they are? searched Academy page but couldn't put my finger on who they were..

Conor Gallagher and George McEachran both set to travel it seems, George especially as he was spotted getting onto the plane. I'd go with the following and leave as many behind as needed.... -----------------------------Bulka Zappacosta--------Cahill-------Christensen-------Emerson -----------------------------Fabregas --------------------Amapdu----------Loftus-Cheek ----------Moses------------------------------Hudson-Odoi ------------------------------Morata Subs: Cabellero, Castillo, Gallagher, Drinkwater, Mcecharan, Piazon, Redwan Play as few senior players as needed, unlikely squad but referred, If Chalobah (T), R James, Sterling, Ugbo, Abraham, Baker, Brown were here would have been perfect haha