After qualifying to the next round of the Europa League, the time has come for Maurizio Sarri to rest some key players to give them adequate rest. Chelsea are not going through a great sort of form. Before the International Break they were held by Everton at Stamford Bridge. After the International Break, it was a stern test of the Blues against Spurs at the Wembley Stadium. It was an unimpressive performance of the Blues against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday in the Premier League. The Blues took it casual at the beginning of the match and Spurs took the advantage of it.
The horrible defensive performance of David Luiz made things looking easy for Spurs. The Brazilian centre back allowed Harry Kane to score from a shot with distance. Kepa Arrizabalaga was unsighted by the defender. Son Heung Min’s brilliant solo run produced another goal for Spurs and it was the end of the game for Chelsea. Olivier Giroud pulled one goal back; but it was too late for the Blues to make a comeback from there. The unbeaten run of Maurizio Sarri’s side ended with a poor display at the Wembley Stadium. The Blues will certainly wish to make a comeback from that heavy defeat and the match against Paok in the Europa League will certainly give them the chance to sort their problems out.
Team News :
Chelsea will face Fulham on Saturday at the Stamford Bridge and on Wednesday they will face Wolves in an away match in the Premier League. After that, a match against Manchester City has been scheduled. So, the fixtures are very much congested for them. Three wins in a row will be a great result for them. On the other side, any drop of points will be crucial for them in the race of top four in the Premier League.
It is expected that Maurizio Sarri will completely rotate his side against Paok. Willy Caballero could start in place of Kepa Arrizabalaga as the Spanish Goalkeeper needs some rest ahead of the tight schedule coming up in their way. Davide Zappacosta and Emerson Palmieri will start at both the flanks in the defense. Andreas Christensen and Gary Cahill should start in the central defense of the Blues. On the other hand, in the Midfield, there should be the presence of Ruben Loftus Cheek, Ross Barkley and Cesc Fabregas. Callum Hudson Odoi deserve a start in this match as Eden Hazard will be rested. Eden Hazard picked up an injury in the ankle in the match against Tottenham Hotspur. On the other hand, Willian also needs rest after starting in almost all games for the Blues. Olivier Giroud might get the nod to start this game. Though, Maurizio Sarri can go with Alvaro Morata to help him regaining his confidence.
Predicted Starting Eleven :
Chelsea : (4-3-3)
Goalkeeper : Caballero
Defenders : Zappacosta, Cahill, Christensen, Emerson.
Midfielders : Loftus-Cheek, Fabregas, Barkley.
Attackers : Pedro, Giroud, Willian.
PAOK : (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper : Paschalakis
Defenders : Matos, Varela, Crespo, Tosca.
Midfielders : Wernbloom, Mauricio; Limnios,Pelkas, Kaddouri.
Attackers : Prijovic.
My Predicted Scoreline :
Chelsea 3-0 Paok
