Chelsea hand Axel Disasi a debut in today’s blockbuster Premier League opener against Liverpool.
The French defender starts alongside Thiago Silva and Levi Colwill in an apparent 3-5-2 system after joining from Monaco in a £38.8million deal earlier this month.
Fellow new signing Christopher Nkunku has had surgery after damaging the meniscus in his knee during pre-season and is expected to be sidelined for approximately four months in another injury blow after missing last year’s World Cup with France.
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Mauricio Pochettino wants to enter the transfer market to add an attacker to cover the loss of Nkunku but has had to look within the squad for this afternoon’s match at Stamford Bridge.
Carney Chukwuemeka and Nicolas Jackson play in attack alongside Raheem Sterling, with Mykhailo Mudryk only on the bench.
Armando Broja is nearing his return from injury and joined the group in training this week. Benoit Badiashile is also nearing his return from a significant hamstring problem but does not feature against Liverpool.
Noni Madueke is not fit enough to start having had a tight hamstring throughout Chelsea’s pre-season tour of the United States, though is named as a substitute.
Wesley Fofana may be out for the season having torn his anterior cruciate ligament, leaving new manager Pochettino with a long injury list at the start of the new season.
Kepa Arrizabalaga was likely to continue as the No1 goalkeeper despite Chelsea signing Brighton’s Robert Sanchez as competition, though is not involved today as he heads to Real Madrid as a short-term replacement for the injured Thibaut Courtois. Sanchez is in goal instead, making his debut along with Disasi, Colwill and Jackson.
On the bench, Lesley Ugochukwu, Andrey Santos, Malo Gusto, Lucas Bergstrom and Mason Burstow have also yet to make their senior Chelsea competitive debuts.
Romelu Lukaku, Hakim Ziyech and Callum Hudson-Odoi are all training away from the first team at Cobham and will not play as they remain on the transfer list.
Chelsea starting XI: Sanchez, Disasi, Thiago Silva, Colwill, James, Fernandez, Chukwuemeka, Gallagher, Chilwell, Sterling, Jackson
Chelsea subs: Bergstrom, Cucurella, Mudryk, Madueke, Ugochukwu, Santos, Gusto, Maatsen, Burstow
Injured: Nkunku, Chalobah, Fofana, Badiashile, Broja, Bettinelli
Suspended: None
Time and date: 4:30pm BST on Sunday August 13, 2023
Venue: Stamford Bridge
