Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang starts for Chelsea for the first time in the Premier League since the Blues last faced off with Arsenal as Frank Lampard makes two changes to his team. Noni Madueke also starts for the first time under Frank Lampard.
The caretaker boss has moved to what appears to be a back four as Trevoh Chalobah and Conor Gallagher drop out of the starting XI as Lampard makes adjustments in search of goals. The 44-year-old noted ahead of the game that Aubameyang had been in his thinking as he prefers a focal point in attack.
He said: "But in Auba over a short period it has been hard for me to gauge that but when he came on against Brentford you saw the different feeling in the team. One thing for sure he is a very high level player but clearly in a situation where he is not at his freshest or sharpest.
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"I will want a No.9 that I can play off and that we can rely on. It's not ideal for me to ask Raheem or Joao Felix to play in that No.9 role. We had to in the games against Real Madrid. There are a lot of things to put together and the solution is not always easy. I have to see if they are ready to play or not."
Elsewhere, Kepa remains in goal while Wesley Fofana and Thiago Silva partner in defence, flanked by Cesar Azpilicueta and Ben Chilwell. Mateo Kovacic, N'Golo Kante and Enzo Fernandez make up the midfield three while Raheem Sterling and Noni Madueke support Aubameyang in attack.
Kai Havertz returns from his knee injury which saw him miss the game against Brentford for a place on the bench.
Chelsea XI: Kepa; Azpilicueta, Fofana, Silva, Chilwell, Fernandez, Kovacic, Kante, Sterling, Aubameyang, Madueke.
Substitutes: Mendy, Badiashile, Chalobah, Gallagher, Loftus-Cheek, Mudryk, Ziyech, Havertz, Felix.
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