Chelsea’s midweek loss in the Ruhr valley against Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund would otherwise continue to raise the alarm across a 2022-23 campaign that has seen the Blues struggle in relation to the level of talent the club has brought in the door at Stamford Bridge this season under Graham Potter, but the Premier League side was very much the better outfit on the night and that very notion could boost confidence coming into the weekend.
The Blues will no doubt be thankful that their reprieve from their Champions League travels is a gift that is a home clash against bottom-dwelling Southampton, who recently parted ways with Nathan Jones just three months after his appointment as Ralph Hasenhüttl’s successor, while Saints remain leaderless. With strong outings from a number of key Chelsea players against Dortmund, many supporters will expect a comfortable three points in the capital to end a three-match run of draws.
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Predicted Chelsea XI
Chelsea Team News
- Out: N’Golo Kanté, Édouard Mendy, Christian Pulisic, Armando Broja
- Doubt: Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell
Graham Potter will, unfortunately, note the same four long-term absentees from senior duties as N’Golo Kanté, Édouard Mendy, Christian Pulisic, and Armando Broja all remain laid up in dry dock for the Blues for the foreseeable future, but two more recent issues are more pressing for the weekend.
Ben Chilwell came off injured in the mid-week loss against Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park and now faces a late assessment if he is to take part at Stamford Bridge. Marc Cucurella would slot into the team should the England international not pass fit.
Three Lions colleague Raheem Sterling may also miss out on the weekend’s action after the former Liverpool forward was absent for both recent clashes against West Ham and Dortmund due to recurring knee issues, but is likely to not feature in the XI if he passes fit.
