Chelsea are itching to get back to winning ways when they face Croatian side Dynamo Zagreb at the bridge on Wednesday night, a match with little significance for the blues after their away win at Austrian side Salzburg last week. Chelsea will finish top, no matter the result tomorrow.
However, after rounding off the group as table toppers, Chelsea will be keen to ensure that their streak in the Champions League continues after losing their opening game to their Croatian counterparts. No Chelsea manager since Roberto Di Mateo in 2011-12 has gone unbeaten in their first five champions league matches, a run that saw the Londoners crowned winners.
Chelsea team news :
Chelsea’s list of notable absentees hasn’t changed much in recent weeks, Ngolo Kante, Wesley Fofana and Reece James remain out of the tie with long term injuries after Manager Graham Potter claimed that Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly has an “outside chance” of making the squad on Wednesday.
Goalkeeper Kepa had to be substituted during the game against Brighton over an injury to the bottom of his foot, leaving the door for redemption wide open for Edouard Mendy. Potter Is expected to make several changes to the line up with the likes of Azpilicueta, Broja, Ziyech and even Denis Zakaria getting a look in as well.
Dinamo Zagreb team news :
Zagreb are desperate to sign off with a statement and maybe snatch the Europa League place ahead of Salzburg on Wednesday. Top goal scorer Orsic is likely to be in the starting Xi after a slight rest at the weekend. Josip Sutalo and Bosko Sutalo are still out with long term injuries.
Dino Peric and Ljubicicare expected to be back in the starting XI as well. In other to avoid finishing last in the group Zagreb must find a way to beat Chelsea, despite needing results elsewhere between Milan and Salzburg to go their way.
Chelsea potential line up :
3-4-3 Chelsea XI : Mendy, Azpi, Chalobah ,Cucurella, RLC, Jorginho, Gallagher, Chilwell, Ziyech, Pulisic, Broja.
Dinamo Zagreb potential line up:
3-5-2 Zagreb: Livakovic, Ristovski, Peric,L. Sutalo, Moharrahmi, Ademi, Misic, Ivanucec, Ljubicic, Orsic, Petkovic.
My preferred Chelsea line up :
Chelsea XI: 3-4-3 Chelsea XI : Mendy, Aszpilicueta, Chalobah, Cucurella, Loftus Cheek, Jorginho, Zakaria, Chilwell, Ziyech, Pulisic, Broja.
Score prediction. Chelsea 3:0 Dinamo Zagreb
With the defeat at Brighton still lingering in the heart of everyone in and around Chelsea, it is in no doubt that this is an opportunity to set things straight against a side who marked the end of former manager Thomas Tuchel as a Chelsea boss. However, regardless of the myriad of changes expected to be made by Potter, this is likely going to serve as a dress rehearsal for what’s to come at the weekend against a high flying Arsenal. If there’s any game worth winning, it is against a London rival and there’s no better dress rehearsal than that of Wednesday.
