Chelsea will look to end their three-game winless run in the Premier League when they visit Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park today.
After eight wins in a row, Enzo Maresca’s side have seen their faint title hopes all-but disappear after a disappointing run of form over the Christmas period.
Having been held to a goalless draw against Everton, the Blues then fell to a late defeat to local rivals Fulham before being stunned by Ipswich Town on Monday.
And they now face a resurgent Crystal Palace side who have lost just one of their last eight league fixtures following a slow start to the campaign.
Having rung the changes for their trip to Portman Road, Maresca is likely to return to his first-choice starting lineup for today’s fixture.
Attackers such as Christopher Nkunku and Joao Felix were given a rare chance to impress from the start but could now make way as Nicolas Jackson and Jadon Sancho return to the fold.
In midfield, Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo are expected to continue, with Keirnan Dewsbury-Hall and Romeo Lavia still recovering from their respective injuries.
Dewsbury-Hall will miss today’s encounter but Lavia could play a part from the bench after Maresca confirmed on Friday that the Belgian had begun training with the first team again.
Defensively, Malo Gusto could come back into the side for Axel Disasi at right-back but there was more bad news at centre-back regarding the injuries to Benoit Badiashille and Wesley Fofana.
While Badiashille could return next month, Maresca confirmed that Chelsea could be without Fofana for the rest of the season as he continues to struggle with a hamstring injury he picked up in December.
‘Unfortunately he could be out for the season. We don’t know exactly but he could be out for part of the season,’ Maresca said in his press conference on Friday.
‘It was the first update and the first information we had but having a test, we realised it was worst than what we thought at the beginning. It is hamstring and unfortunately, we are going to lose him for a while.’
Filip Jorgensen started just his second league game in goal for Chelsea against Ipswich, but first-choice Robert Sanchez may well return in net for today’s fixture.
Perhaps the only positive news from Chelsea’s loss to Ipswich was the return of Reece James to the matchday squad for the first time since mid-November.
The club captain did not come off the bench as he continues his rehabilitation from his latest hamstring injury and Maresca was optimistic that he could get some minutes later on today.
‘In the last game, he was with us in the squad but the plan was not to give him minutes,’ he said. ‘Tomorrow we can give him minutes. Hopefully he can get minutes very soon.’
Predicted Chelsea XI to face Crystal Palace
Sanchez, Gusto, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella, Caicedo, Fernandez, Neto, Palmer, Sancho, Jackson
Where to watch Chelsea vs Fulham? Kick-off time and TV channel
Chelsea vs Crystal Palace kicks off at 3pm on Saturday, January 4.
However, viewers in the United Kingdom will not be able to watch today’s game live on TV or via a live stream due to the 3pm football blackout rule.
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