Chelsea will entertain Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge on Saturday looking to secure passage through to the next round of the competition. The Pensioners should be well-rested for this weekend’s encounter but Maurizio Sarri could still opt to make a whole host of changes to his side for this clash at West London.
The Tricky Trees will come into this weekend’s encounter full of confidence after earning a thumping 4-2 win over Leeds United in the EFL Championship so an upset might be on the cards if the Chelsea players get complacent in front of their home supporters.
4-3-3 Chelsea Predicted Lineup To Face Nottingham Forest
Defence
Willy Caballero will start in between the sticks for the Pensioners against the Tricky Trees on Saturday. The Argentine keeper has made four appearances this season and has conceded seven goals so far which is not good enough for a club like Chelsea.
Maurizio Sarri is expected to opt for the central defensive pairing of Ethan Ampadu and Andreas Christensen as his side cannot afford to get knocked out in the early rounds of the FA Cup. David Zappacosta will likely start at right-back while Emerson Palmieri would operate on the other side as the left-back.
The West London outfit kept a clean sheet against Southampton on Wednesday but it still wasn’t enough for them to get the win on the night. Sarri would be hoping for a similar kind of display from his defenders this weekend.
Midfield
Cesc Fabregas will operate as a deep-lying holding midfielder as he looks to distribute the ball accurately in the Nottingham half. Both Danny Drinkwater and Ruben Loftus-Cheek might feature alongside the Spanish playmaker at the centre of the pitch. Loftus-Cheek has scored six goals in 16 appearances for the Pensioners this term so he would be an excellent weapon for the home team going forward.
Attack
The trio of Callum Hudson-Odoi, Alvaro Morata and Eden Hazard will make up Chelsea’s frontline against the Tricky Trees as Sarri tries to cope with injuries in the attacking end of the pitch. Hazard was unlucky not to score against Southampton on Thursday night so he would be hoping to be more productive in front of goal this weekend.
