Chelsea will clash heads with Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on Sunday evening, hoping to pick up a win on their home turf. The Blues will be heading into the contest on the back of a disappointing 1-1 draw with Brighton, whereas the Lilywhites recorded a thrilling 3-2 victory over Leicester City on January 19.
Team News
The Blues will be without the services of several key players for the weekend clash.
Trevoh Chalobah and Reece James are back in training, but Sunday might come too soon for the defensive duo.
“We have a time frame but we will not make it public because otherwise we will just get asked about the timescale.” – Tuchel stated.
“He is back on the pitch, that’s the good news. But he’s still in individual training, so far away from being part of the squad on Sunday’s game.
“Trevoh Chalobah is back in team training but also way too early to play the game on Sunday at this kind of level. So actually, nobody is coming back, it’s the same squad [as played Brighton].”
Furthermore, Andreas Christensen hasn’t joined team training after recovering from COVID-19, whereas Edouard Mendy is at the African Cup of Nations.
The German tactician will probably opt for the 3-4-3 formation; however, he is expected to make a couple of changes for the upcoming contest. Timo Werner might get the nod over Hakim Ziyech in attack whereas Malang Sarr looks likely to make his way back into the starting eleven.
3-4-3 Chelsea Predicted Lineup Vs Tottenham Hotspur
Defence
Kepa Arrizabalaga is expected to start between the sticks for the upcoming clash. The Spanish shot-stopper will hope to put up a strong performance and secure a clean sheet on Sunday.
Thiago Silva is expected to start at the heart of Blues’ backline, whereas Antonio Rudiger will feature at the right centre-back spot. Antonio Rudiger will fulfil the right centre-back position.
Midfield
Jorginho and N’Golo Kante might fulfil the holding midfield positions, with the former occupying a more central role. The pair would be looking to dominate the midfield proceedings.
Callum Hudson-Odoi will start at the left wing-back position, whereas Cesar Azpilicueta will fill in on the other flank as the right wing-back. The duo would be expected to stretch Chelsea’s attacks in the opposition half.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek will have to settle for a place on the bench, but he could be brought on in the latter stages of the game if needed.
Saul Niguez could feature in the second-half as well.
Attack
Timo Werner and Mason Mount will slot into the attacking midfield roles. The duo would be determined to set up some clear-cut goal-scoring chances for the front-men.
Romelu Lukaku might lead the line for Chelsea this weekend. The 28-year-old striker, who has been in terrible form lately, will hope to find the back of the net when he faces off against the Spurs defence that conceded six goals in their last five matches across all competitions.
Kai Havertz might come on to make a cameo appearance in the second forty-five minutes.