Moises Caicedo makes his first start for Chelsea tonight against Luton.
The midfielder plays alongside Enzo Fernandez for the first time, with Conor Gallagher also in midfield.
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Carney Chukwuemeka is also out after injuring his left knee in Chelsea’s defeat to West Ham at the weekend. He is now expected to be out for six weeks.
Chelsea will also withhold Romeo Lavia from making his Chelsea debut as they build up his fitness with a training programme.
Reece James and Trevoh Chalobah both pulled their hamstrings last week and are set to be out for around a month.
They have joined Christopher Nkunku and Wesley Fofana in the Blues treatment room, after they suffered serious knee injuries during pre-season, with Armando Broja, Benoit Badiashile and Marcus Bettinelli completing a hefty nine-man injury list.
It leaves Pochettino with limited options in attack which may see a returning Noni Madueke make his first start since sustaining a hamstring problem in pre-season.
Defender-turned-left-winger Ben Chilwell continues on the flank, however, alongside Nicolas Jackson, Raheem Sterling and Gallagher in attack.
Pochettino said: “Moises is ready to start, Lavia is not. After [the fitness coaches] assessed him, he needs a few weeks to be ready to be involved with the team. He is reconditioning now and working to try to catch the team and his teammates.
“For Romeo, we need to wait a few weeks until he is involved with the team.”
Chelsea keep an unchanged backline despite conceding three goals last time out with Robert Sanchez in goal and a defence of Malo Gusto, Axel Disasi, Thiago Silva and Levi Colwill in front of him.
Starting Chelsea XI: Sanchez; Gusto, Disasi, Silva, Colwill; Caicedo, Enzo; Sterling, Gallagher, Chilwell; Jackson
Subs: Bergstrom, Beach, Humphreys, Cucurella, Maatsen, Ugochukwu, Moreira, Madueke, Burstow
Injuries: Mudryk, Chukwuemeka, Nkunku, James, Chalobah, W. Fofana, Broja, Badiashile, Bettinelli
Doubts: Lavia
Time and date: 8pm BST on Friday, August 25, 2023
Venue: Stamford Bridge
