Thomas Tuchel has made four changes to his Chelsea side for this afternoon's Premier League clash against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
The Blues are back in top-flight action for the first time in almost a month and will be hoping to extend the gap to those sides below them in the race to finish in the Champions League places.
There is no Ben Chilwell (knee), Reece James (hamstring) and Mason Mount (ankle) in the squad due to injury while Cesar Azpilicueta also misses out with a knock sustained in training this week.
Tuchel has continued with Edouard Mendy in goal. The Chelsea head coach confirmed at his pre-match press conference the Senegal international remains his number one despite the impressive performances of Kepa Arrizabalaga throughout January.
A back four has been settled upon by Tuchel and there is a start at right-back for Andreas Christensen, a position he has not featured in for Chelsea since the 2014/15 campaign under Jose Mourinho.
Thiago Silva and Antonio Rudiger are the two centre-backs with Malang Sarr coming back into the starting XI at left-back. Marcos Alonso is among the substitutes.
N'Golo Kante starts in midfield and Jorginho returns to the starting XI having sat out last weekend's Club World Cup final win over Palmeiras.
Tuchel has been bold in attack with four players deployed. Hakim Ziyech is back in the team on the right while Christian Pulisic is on the opposite flank.
There were early signs of a relationship blooming between Kai Havertz and Romelu Lukaku during the Club World Cup and it is no surprise the duo start once more in a front two.
Timo Werner is fit enough to make the substitutes' bench for the Blues; Tuchel stated ahead of the game that the German was a doubt due to a cold.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek is also back in the squad after injury while Harvey Vale also makes the bench.
Chelsea: Mendy; Christensen, Silva, Rudiger, Sarr; Jorginho, Kante; Ziyech, Pulisic; Lukaku, Havertz
Chelsea substitutes: Kepa, Alonso, Chalobah, Kovacic, Loftus-Cheek, Saul, Kenedy, Vale, Werner
