Chelsea are scheduled to face Borussia Monchengladbach in their final pre-season friendly on Saturday. Blues boss Frank Lampard is likely to make only a few changes from the recent 5-3 triumph over Red Bull Salzburg, considering it’s the ultimate game before the Premier League opener against Manchester United on August 11.
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Predicted Lineup:
Kepa Arrizabalaga played through the entire 90 minutes against Salzburg and he can be backed to start between the sticks once more. The Spaniard will be hoping to keep a clean sheet which has been a rare case for the Blues during pre-season.
In the defence, it could remain more or less the same from the previous outing. The only change could occur on the left side of the backline where Marcos Alonso may get the nod over Emerson. The Blues certainly need to improve on their defensive showing with just one shutout and eight goals conceded from five pre-season games.
In the centre of the park, no changes are expected with Jorginho once more partnering Mateo Kovacic. N’Golo Kante remains unavailable due to a knee concern while the likes of Tiemoue Bakayoko and Danny Drinkwater may have to contend with bench roles at the present point of time.
Further forward, Lampard has the temptation of playing Mason Mount with his recent run of form but he may stick with Christian Pulisic, Ross Barkley and Pedro after their impressive performances in midweek.
Upfront, Lampard has generally chosen to swap between Tammy Abraham, Olivier Giroud and Michy Batshuayi and the latter could earn the start after finding the net during a 15-minute cameo against Austria.
Predicted Chelsea XI: Kepa Arrizabalaga, Cesar Azpilicueta, Kurt Zouma, David Luiz, Marcos Alonso, Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic, Christian Pulisic, Ross Barkley, Pedro, Michy Batshuayi
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