Graham Potter has made three changes to his Chelsea side for the visit of Aston Villa in their first Premier League match following the international break. Mykhailo Mudryk returns to the starting XI having missed the match against Everton, while Marc Cucurella comes into the side for the injured Wesley Fofana.
Reece James has been deemed fit enough to start and could line up on the right of a back three, along with Kalidou Koulibaly and Cucurella. Ruben Loftus-Cheek has been named in the side and could take the wingback role on the right flank with Ben Chilwell retaining his place on the left.
Potter noted in his press conference on Friday that Fofana and Raheem Sterling could be in contention for a place in the squad against Liverpool but both miss out on the squad on Stamford Bridge while Christian Pulisic has proved well enough to make the squad.
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N'Golo Kante once again makes the bench having put in the work at Cobham over the break and played 60 minutes in a friendly behind closed doors, while Mason Mount also makes his first steps back from injury with a place among the substitutes. Potter suggested Kante would make it on to the pitch against Villa.
He said: "We have to manage that as the next stage for us because he's been out for so long. The minutes and building those minutes in the Premier League. He's been training well and he's had some behind closed doors time and he's available in the squad and I'm pretty sure he will be on the pitch at some point tomorrow."
Confirmed Chelsea XI: Kepa, James, Koulibaly, Cucurella; Loftus-Cheek, Fernandez, Kovacic, Chilwell; Mudryk, Havertz, Felix.
Subs: Bettinelli, Badiashile, Chalobah, Chukwuemeka, Gallagher, Kante, Mount, Madueke, Pulisic.
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