Chelsea predicted lineup vs West Ham - Premier League
- Moises Caicedo may be set to start for Chelsea
- Malo Gusto gets a fresh chance
- Conor Gallagher and Raheem Sterling fight for their places
By Euan Burns
Chelsea are very much one of the teams to watch this season, largely due to just how awful they were in the 2022/23 season under Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and then Frank Lampard.
A whole host of players have departed over the summer, and a glut of new ones have arrived too. One of those recruits, Moises Caicedo, broke the British transfer record and could be in action when Mauricio Pochettino's side take on West Ham United at the London Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
There are a lot of fitness concerns for Pochettino to contend with early in the season, but he still has plenty of exciting young players to choose from. Many of them will be in action against West Ham with injuries to senior players providing opportunities for others.
Here is the team that Pochettino is expected to choose to get his side's first three points of the season.
Chelsea predicted lineup vs West Ham (3-4-2-1)
GK: Robert Sanchez - This wasn't a transfer that Chelsea fans envisaged when the window began, but he is now the number one goalkeeper at the club and held his own against Liverpool in the opener.
CB: Axel Disasi - Perhaps a beneficiary early of the injuries at Chelsea, Disasi has come straight into the side and was really impressive against Liverpool. He grabbed the opening goal, but his general play was just as encouraging.
CB: Thiago Silva - The man who will never stop. Injuries - strictly for his teammates - mean that Silva is going to be playing a lot of games again this season and we all know that he can handle it.
CB: Levi Colwill - It looks as though the returning loanee will get a proper run at being a key centre-back at Chelsea this season.
RM: Malo Gusto - This is a player that many have wanted to see more from, and Reece James being injured means he is going to start a lot more games than before. Gusto is a highly rated talent and now has the chance to show it.
CM: Enzo Fernandez - There is already a feeling that this will be Fernandez's season to shine. He looks settled now and with the overall level of the team presumably getting better, he will start to show why he cost so much money.
CM: Moises Caicedo - Speaking of people who cost so much money, Caicedo should come straight into the team as it was clear against Liverpool why Chelsea need a player just like him.
LM: Ben Chilwell - The captain in James' absence seems to have kept his place in the team under Pochettino which is no great surprise. Chilwell will be tasked with helping to get the best out of the new-look attack.
AM: Conor Gallagher - He may be one of the less fashionable players at Chelsea, but Gallagher could prove to be very important as a rotational option in a couple of positions this season.
AM: Raheem Sterling - Still searching for his best form at Chelsea, Sterling is getting a chance to impress in a new role just behind the main striker.
ST: Nicolas Jackson - He showed a lot of willingness and promise against Liverpool and his pace will cause a lot of issues this season for defenders, he just needs to ensure that the goals follow soon.
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