17 minutes ago, forbzy said:

This is the risk when you sign players with chronic injuries like Lavia. He certainly has potential when he is fit but we only see him a few times a season. I would be inclined to move him on in the summer. For today I would prefer to see Chuky start if we have these players out. Whether or not he is in the shop window he is at least a midfielder who has shown some ability. Failing that could Veiga play in the middle?

I'd be inclined to pick Veiga at LCB if Colwill is out (left footer for left footer), and Casadei alongside Caicedo in the pivot. Chukwuemeka would have been the best player to deputise for Palmer had he been involved up to now, but as he has zero match fitness or sharpness, I'd go with Felix at #10, and tweak the attack slightly : Jackson LW, Sancho RW, and Nkunku at CF. Definitely have Chukky on the bench though. If he's fit he's always in my matchday squad.

Something like this : 

                  Sanchez

James    Chalobah Veiga    Cucurella

               Caicedo Casadei

Sancho           Felix            Jackson

                     Nkunku

If Nkunku carries on with the disinterested stuff we saw recently, then bring Guiu on at HT.

Casadei to push up to support Felix if we invert Cucurella into DM.

Edited January 20, 20251 yr by Sexyfootball

What happened to Enzo, Colwill, Palmer (know Lavia was a doubt). Damn that’s impactful. 

1 minute ago, PhilH930 said:

What happened to Enzo, Colwill, Palmer (know Lavia was a doubt). Damn that’s impactful. 

Hopefully they are all fit ! Just assuming they are not, seeing as the medical situation is typically always worse than we let on to the media !

23 minutes ago, Sexyfootball said:

I'd be inclined to pick Veiga at LCB if Colwill is out (left footer for left footer), and Casadei alongside Caicedo in the pivot. Chukwuemeka would have been the best player to deputise for Palmer had he been involved up to now, but as he has zero match fitness or sharpness, I'd go with Felix at #10, and tweak the attack slightly : Jackson LW, Sancho RW, and Nkunku at CF. Definitely have Chukky on the bench though. If he's fit he's always in my matchday squad.

Something like this : 

                  Sanchez

James    Chalobah Veiga    Cucurella

               Caicedo Casadei

Sancho           Felix            Jackson

                     Nkunku

If Nkunku carries on with the disinterested stuff we saw recently, then bring Guiu on at HT.

Casadei to push up to support Felix if we invert Cucurella into DM.

I'll be surprised if Casadei starts as he seems to be one of the fringe players closest to a move. I also reckon that Tosin is more likely to start as CB than Veiga. I suppose a lot depends on which players are actually ruled out through injury. On the wing, while he hasn't been great recently maybe Noni will get a start as Wolves will remember his hattrick earlier in the season plus his comments about the town. Might throw them off a bit.

4 minutes ago, forbzy said:

I'll be surprised if Casadei starts as he seems to be one of the fringe players closest to a move. I also reckon that Tosin is more likely to start as CB than Veiga. I suppose a lot depends on which players are actually ruled out through injury. On the wing, while he hasn't been great recently maybe Noni will get a start as Wolves will remember his hattrick earlier in the season plus his comments about the town. Might throw them off a bit.

Can't see Noni getting on the scoresheet without Palmer teeing him up, so I left him out, but he's a handy potential sub if we need an impact player to come on in the second half.

Agree Casadei and Veiga highly unlikely to start.

 

Hopefully this is a chance to put the recent run of poor results behind us, we could certainly do with a boost before our next game against man city.

19 hours ago, ross91690 said:

Absolutely a must win tomorrow to stop the rot.

Don't care how, just get the points.

I think we need a good performance to turn this around tbh, a sh*tty win would just paper over the cracks.

Get the boys playing again with confidence. 

44 minutes ago, Victor90 said:

I think we need a good performance to turn this around tbh, a sh*tty win would just paper over the cracks.

Get the boys playing again with confidence. 

I would take any win at present. I remember our decent run earlier in the season started with a scrappy win at Bournemouth.

Tbh a win is a win. Don’t give a flying feck how we get it 

Chelsea: Sanchez; James, Tosin, Chalobah, Cucurella; Caicedo, Dewsbury-Hall; Madueke, Palmer, Neto; Jackson

Substitutes: Jorgensen, Gusto, Acheampong, Disasi, George, Joao Felix, Sancho, Nkunku, Guiu

Welcome back Trev!

Neither Enzo nor Lavia in the team, we're f**ked with KDH there.

You got this already ? 

Palmer fit to play.

Colwill, Enzo, Lavia all out.

KDH miraculously recovered to play alongside Caicedo.

Tosin at LCB ; Madueke and Neto the preferred wingers.

No sign of Veiga or Casadei so both on the way out almost for certain you'd have to think.

KDH ? Omg we are screwed 

1 minute ago, Andy2461 said:

KDH ? Omg we are screwed 

Should have picked Veiga

Not one midfielder on the bench ... just plain daft that is ... 

Was confident going into the game, having seen the line up I’m a little less confident.  Have a bad feeling Cunha is going to punish us.

4 minutes ago, Sexyfootball said:

Not one midfielder on the bench ... just plain daft that is ... 

Agreed. Though Trev or James can be replaced with Josh and then step in to midfield.

Good to see KDH given a chance. Neto on his better side, he is pretty rubbish as a right winger, better on the left for me.

Also Maresca maintains the "no-one gets risked" policey for everyone not named Cole Palmer.

Should not be risking our best player. Should have the game off but he has no interest in giving Felix the spot.

Jackson goal coming boys. Get ready for it.

Could be worse we could be facing City with this team

6 minutes ago, Sexyfootball said:

Not one midfielder on the bench ... just plain daft that is ... 

Rak-Sakyi must feel so valued. 

Just now, axman2526 said:

Agreed. Though Trev or James can be replaced with Josh and then step in to midfield.

Good to see KDH given a chance. Neto on his better side, he is pretty rubbish as a right winger, better on the left for me.

Also Maresca maintains the "no-one gets risked" policy for everyone not named Cole Palmer.

Should not be risking our best player. Should have the game off but he has no interest in giving Felix the spot.

Jackson goal coming boys. Get ready for it.

KDH to score tonight ! You heard it here first LOL

I have seen KDH play before and he is a good player. It is weird that Maresca has not trusted him to start 1 league game till now. Let's back him and hope he puts in a good performance. It is hard to prove yourself when your minutes are limited.

3 minutes ago, Sexyfootball said:

KDH to score tonight ! You heard it here first LOL

Agreed I think he will.

1 minute ago, STATS said:

I have seen KDH play before and he is a good player. It is weird that Maresca has not trusted him to start 1 league game till now. Let's back him and hope he puts in a good performance. It is hard to prove yourself when your minutes are limited.

Well said.

I hope he has a great game, scores twice, assists twice. and benches Fernandez for the rest of the season 🙂 

18 year old elite prospects has one not great game against arguably the leagues inform team = bench.

We never learn.