Chelsea predicted lineup vs Bournemouth - Premier League
- Chelsea wrap up their Premier League campaign at home to Bournemouth
- Reece James suspended after picking up red card at Brighton
- Christopher Nkunku could make rare start
Mauricio Pochettino oversees the final game of his debut season at Chelsea on Sunday, hosting Andoni Iraola's Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues could yet finish fifth in the Premier League table, a result that perhaps wasn't too far off the consensus pre-season projection. Given the injuries Pochettino has been forced to mitigate and how well they're finishing the season, some might regard 2023/24 as a campaign of promise.
But there's still plenty of work to do.
An optimistic Stamford Bridge should greet and receive Pochettino and his players on Sunday, with Chelsea taking on a Bournemouth side set for a respectable mid-table finish. Here's the starting lineup the Argentine could pick for the Blues' season finale.
Chelsea predicted lineup vs Bournemouth (4-2-3-1)
GK: Djordje Petrovic - A summer move for a goalkeeper is expected, so Petrovic will be looking to make the most of what could be his final Premier League start for quite some time.
RB: Malo Gusto - Gusto started ahead of Reece James at Brighton and the Englishman's late sending-off all but confirmed the Frenchman as Sunday's starter.
CB: Trevoh Chalobah - The Cobham graduate has enjoyed an excellent end to the season, proving himself to be a piece worth building around in defence.
CB: Thiago Silva - Pochettino is a bit of a romantic and should give Silva a start on his final appearance for the club.
LB: Marc Cucurella - The inverting Spaniard has certainly aided Chelsea's late-season resurgence. Cucurella is a sure bet to continue at left-back.
CM: Moises Caicedo - After impressing at his former stomping ground on Wednesday night, Caicedo will be looking to finish an up-and-down debut campaign strongly in front of the Chelsea faithful.
CM: Conor Gallagher - Remarkably, this could be Gallagher's final appearance for the Blues. His contract situation is yet to be sorted despite the Chelsea skipper enjoying an excellent season.
RW: Cole Palmer - The PFA Young Player of the Year-elect has one final chance to add to his stellar Premier League goal tally on Sunday. Palmer has been Chelsea's main man this term, scoring 22 league goals.
AM: Christopher Nkunku - Palmer will drift out to the right in order to make room for Nkunku, who could make just his third league start of the season after scoring off the bench in midweek.
LW: Raheem Sterling - A head injury means Mykhailo Mudryk will play no part in Bournemouth's visit. Sterling is a certainty to replace him.
ST: Nicolas Jackson - Every game down the stretch has been significant for Jackson, who, despite offering promise and scoring 14 league goals, hasn't quite convinced the fanbase he's Chelsea's leading striker for the long haul.
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