Chelsea predicted line-up vs. Tottenham Hotspur: Blues handed triple injury boost
- Barnaby Lane
- Apr 2
- 2 min read
Chelsea have received a major injury boost ahead of their crucial Premier League clash against London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday night.
Speaking to the press on Wednesday, Blues head coach Enzo Maresca confirmed that Nicolas Jackson, Cole Palmer, and Noni Madueke are all in contention after recent injury layoffs.
Jackson has been sidelined since early February due to a hamstring injury sustained in a 2-1 win over West Ham, while Madueke has missed Chelsea's last four Premier League games. Palmer, meanwhile, sat out the last match against Arsenal.
"Yeah, Cole is back, he's okay, he's better, Noni is better, Nico is better, and yeah, they are all good," Maresca said.
Asked about the importance of having the trio back, the Italian coach added: "Absolutely, very good. We said many times that at the end it's a game for players and when they are not there for different reasons, you struggle."
"This is exactly what happened with us this season, where we had five or six unbelievable months and then six or seven injuries in a row and we lost something, but now it's good to finish with a lot of them," he said.
However, while Jackson, Palmer, and Madueke are set to return, Romeo Lavia is likely to miss out. Maresca revealed that the Belgian midfielder had picked up another minor knock after recently recovering from a lengthy hamstring injury.
"He was doing better in terms of progress, but unfortunately one day ago he had again a small problem," Maresca said. "So we're going to see in the next hours."
Marc Guiu also remains out.
Here's how we think Chelsea will line up against Ange Postecoglou's side.
Chelsea predicted line-up vs. Tottenham
GK: Robert Sanchez – Keeps his place ahead of Filip Jorgensen, but really, it's a toss up.
RB: Reece James – With Cole Palmer back, Enzo Fernandez will likely be shifted back into defensive midfield, and James into his natural position.
CB: Wesley Fofana – Chelsea's best defender this season back in his best position. We love to see it.
CB: Levi Colwill – Likely to keep his place ahead of Benoit Badiashile, but has looked shaky in recent weeks.
LB: Marc Cucurella – Superb in recent times, especially going forward with three goals in his last two. Will no doubt be looking to get at Arsenal's right-back.
CM: Enzo Fernandez – Will be shifted backwards because of Palmer.
CM: Moises Caicedo – One of the first names on the team sheet, nobody is taking Moises Caicedo's position in central midfield.
RM: Noni Madueke – Should give whoever is playing left-back for Spurs, probably Destiny Udogie, with his pace and directness.
CAM: Cole Palmer – Scored twice in the 4-3 win over Spurs earlier in the season. This game could be the perfect one for him to rediscover his Midas touch.
LM: Pedro Neto – Prefers it on the right flank, but Maresca will probably still pick him over Jadon Sancho, who has been poor in recent weeks.
ST: Nicolas Jackson – Has been a huge miss for Chelsea. Hopefully can find the net on his return.
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