Chelsea will be going in search of their first victory since the international break when they travel to Old Trafford to face Manchester United this teatime, kick-off 5:30pm.
After signing off for the international break in emphatic style, hammering Crystal Palace 4-0 at Stamford Bridge three weeks ago, the Blues looked as though they were going to maintain that standard against Southampton last weekend, racing into a two-goal lead inside half an hour thanks to a Timo Werner double.
Despite that, Frank Lampard’s side squandered their two-goal lead, allowing the Saints to bring it back to 2-2 before Kai Havertz put Chelsea back in front. The visitors, though, were to have the final say, netting a 92nd-minute leveller through Jannik Vestergaard.
The Blues then followed up Saturday’s disappointment with a goalless draw against Sevilla on Tuesday evening in their opening fixture of their Champions League campaign. Though Lampard will have been disappointed not to have made a winning start to the group stage, he will have taken comfort from seeing his side register a second clean-sheet in three games.
But the Blues’ focus now switches to a trip to Old Trafford to take on a United side brimming with confidence after successes over both Newcastle United (4-1) and Paris Saint-Germain (2-1) inside the past week.
This time last week, Chelsea probably would have fancied their chances of going to Old Trafford and recording a victory without any fuss, especially after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side fell to a 6-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur prior to the international break.
Having returned to the starting line-up against Sevilla in midweek after missing the draw with Southampton, goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, who joined the club from Rennes during the summer, will start in goal, as he goes in search of a third successive clean sheet.
Fellow shot-stopper Kepa Arrizabalaga, though he was unlikely to have started due to Mendy’s current form, will miss out through injury, though. The Spaniard is currently nursing a shoulder problem.
Fortunately for Lampard, aside from long-term absentee Billy Gilmour, Arrizabalaga is the only man ruled out of the Blues’ trip north, meaning he has plenty of options to choose from, particularly in attack.
Hakim Ziyech could be handed his first Premier League start after stepping off the bench against Southampton last weekend whilst centre-back Andreas Christensen will be pushing for a start after being dropped to the bench against Sevilla.
Full Chelsea squad available to face Manchester United:
Goalkeepers: Edouard Mendy & Willy Caballero.
Defenders: Reece James, Cesar Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva, Kurt Zouma, Andrea Christensen, Antonio Rudiger, Fikayo Tomori, Ben Chilwell, Marcos Alonso & Emerson Palmieri.
Midfielders: Jorginho, N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech, Callum Hudson-Odoi & Christian Pulisic.
Strikers: Timo Werner, Tammy Abraham & Olivier Giroud.
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