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Football London
Football London
Sport
Daniel Orme

Three ways Chelsea could line-up vs West Ham United as Thomas Tuchel handed defensive headache

Chelsea will be aiming to correct their stuttering Stamford Bridge form this weekend as they host West Ham United on Sunday afternoon. The Blues welcome the Hammers fresh off the back of shipping another four goals on home soil to Arsenal.

The defeat at the hands of their London rivals is also the third time in just four matches in all competitions that Chelsea have conceded at least three goals in a single game. That record does not look like being improved with defenders Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen potentially set to miss this weekend’s game.

With that being said, football.london takes a look at the ways that Blues boss Thomas Tuchel could potentially set up his side’s defence as the Blues attempt to get back on track.

READ MORE: Romelu Lukaku transfer decision reached as Chelsea lose out amid Liverpool 'agreement'

Silva straight back in

One man who could potentially be drafted straight back in to shore up the defence could be Brazilian veteran Thiago Silva. The former Paris Saint-Germain star started on the bench last time out against Arsenal but was called upon at half-time, with Christensen having picked up the problem.

Silva has been a stalwart of the Chelsea defence since his arrival nearly two years ago and he seems the most likely candidate to be called upon should either Rudiger or Christensen not be fit enough to appear. In order to disrupt his backline as little as possible, that could see the 37-year-old be handed the central position, with Malang Sarr and Reece James either side of him.

All change in the backline

With the Blues’ aforementioned struggles in keeping the ball out of the back of the net, Tuchel could be tempted to make sweeping changes across his defence compared to the one seen against Arsenal. The likes of Christensen and Sarr could both drop out - the latter for tactical reasons. Meanwhile, Reece James could be moved to his more favoured right wing-back position.

This would of course leave the three-man central defensive roles vacant. Thiago Silva is one of those who could of course be called upon and might well be joined by Blues skipper Cesar Azpilicueta.

That decision could also potentially see academy graduate Trevoh Chalobah a rare chance to impress. The 22-year-old has not appeared in the Premier League since mid-March but Chelsea’s need for changes could see him afforded an opportunity against the Hammers.

Return of the back four?

Whilst Tuchel has regularly been an advocate of a back three during his spell in charge, another option against the Hammers could potentially be a switch to a different system - a four-man defence. Considering the Blues have not fielded a back four since the 1-1 draw with Brighton, it certainly seems the most unlikely of options.

However, with the injury worries and the need for Chelsea to tighten up at the back, it might well become a viable route. Specifically, James and Marcos Alonso would be deployed in their respective full-back positions, whilst Thiago Silva could partner fellow centre-back Malang Sarr at the heart of the defence.

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