Liam Rosenior’s first major test as Chelsea manager is on the horizon, with the Blues playing host to the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal on Wednesday night.
Rosenior has plenty of work to do to win over a sceptical Blues fanbase after Enzo Maresca departed west London at the start of the year, but victory in this semi-final will hand the new manager plenty of credit in the bank.
Arsenal have dominated the head-to-head duel in recent years, but Chelsea were arguably the more impressive side in both of their 1–1 draws overseen by Maresca at the Bridge during his tenure.
However, outwitting the Gunners’ Mikel Arteta is no simple challenge, and perhaps Rosenior will merely want to ensure his injury-hit team is still in the tie by the time they visit the Emirates next month.
Here’s how Chelsea could line up against Arsenal for Wednesday’s first leg.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Arsenal (4-2-3-1)
GK: Robert Sánchez—It seems unlikely for the new boss to make a change between the posts right away, with Sánchez poised to remain Chelsea’s No. 1.
RB: Malo Gusto—The right back is one of several injury concerns heading into this game, having picked up a knock against Fulham last week. However, the Frenchman isn’t expected to be out for long and could be back in the XI as early as Wednesday.
CB: Wesley Fofana—There’s no doubting that Chelsea are far better with Fofana in the team, and Rosenior would be silly not to include the former Leicester City man in his side here.
CB: Trevoh Chalobah—The Englishman typified Chelsea’s resolve during the previous meeting with the Gunners, opening the scoring with a clever header despite losing Moisés Caicedo to a first-half red card.
LB: Marc Cucurella—Having served his suspension, Cucurella may get his chance to test himself in this unique role under Rosenior.
CM: Andrey Santos—Caicedo, sent off in November, is slated to miss out here through another suspension, giving Santos an automatic route into the team.
CM: Reece James—Chelsea desperately need their captain fit for the first leg, especially when you consider just how good he was in the previous meeting.
RW: Estêvão—The sprinkling of magic the hosts require to trouble Arsenal’s stern defence will be provided by the young Brazilian. Estêvão will likely match up against another teenager in Myles Lewis-Skelly.
AM: Enzo Fernández—If Cole Palmer isn’t fit for Wednesday’s game, Fernández should reprise his box-crashing midfield role.
LW: Pedro Neto—Rosenior has an abundance of wide options, but he could opt for Neto here. He tends to play well against the Gunners.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Arsenal: Key Duo Missing for Blues.
