Chelsea’s squad is currently bursting at the seams. Under Todd Boehly, the Blues have been a dominant force in the transfer market, bringing in an astonishing 35 players over the past two years.... CLICK TO READ THE FULL NEWS HERE▶▶
As such, with less than a week to go before their Premier League opener against Manchester City, manager Enzo Maresca has a staggering 46 players to choose from – and it’ll be 47 if Joao Felix, who has been linked with a surprise return to Stamford Bridge this week, ends up joining.
The squad will obviously be trimmed before the end of the month with players expected to be sold, loaned out or relegated to the reserve squad. But the sheer size of Chelsea’s dressing room got us wondering: how many different starting XIs could they potentially field?
The answer, it seems, is four. Yes, four! So, without further ado, let’s delve into each one. Brace yourselves!
Line-up No. 1
Predicting Chelsea’s regular starting XI for this season is no easy task, but we think we’ve got a rough idea. Maresca has mainly used a 3-2-4-1 formation in pre-season, with one of the full-backs inverting to form a four-man box in midfield.
With this in mind, we anticipate £20million summer recruit Filip Jorgensen to be given the nod in goal due to his ball-playing abilities. In defence, assuming everyone is fit, Wesley Fofana, Levi Colwill and Marc Cucurella are likely to get the call.
In the midfield, Reece James (when he’s back from suspension) will be taking on the role of an inverted right-back alongside Enzo Fernandez, who will serve as the team’s creative No. 6. Ahead of them in the No. 8 roles are Moises Caicedo and Cole Palmer.
In attack, new signing Pedro Neto is on the right, while Christopher Nkunku is on the left. Nicolas Jackson, meanwhile, is in at No. 9.
Chelsea’s line-up
Chelsea’s starting line-up this season will look something like this
Line-up No. 2
Every player in the first line-up is expected to play a significant part in Maresca’s plans for the season. But to demonstrate the incredible depth of Chelsea’s squad, the same can be said for just about everyone in the second line-up.
Robert Sanchez is in goal and could potentially start the season as Chelsea’s first-choice keeper. In front of him, a back three consisting of Axel Disasi, Tosin Adarabioyo and Benoit Badiashile, all of whom could be regular starters this season.
Malo Gusto, like James in the first line-up, will act as an inverted right-back at the base of the midfield, alongside Romeo Lavia, who played just 30 minutes of football last season due to a series of devastating injuries. Carney Chukwuemeka and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, meanwhile, are in as the two No. 8s.
Up front, Mykhailo Mudryk starts on the left, and if Joao Felix does indeed sign, he’ll be on the right. Marc Guiu, who has shown promise in pre-season, is up top.
Chelsea’s line-up
The bulk of these players are expected to play keys roles in Maresca’s team
Line-up No. 3
Incredibly, Chelsea’s third potential line-up still features several players who are likely to play a significant role in Maresca’s plans. However, Dorde Petrovic, the goalkeeper for this team, is not one of them.
Ahead of the Serbian keeper is Ben Chilwell, who feels like a square peg in Maresca’s round-hole system, Trevoh Chalobah, who has been banished to the reserves at the time of writing, and young talent Bashir Humphreys.
The midfield consists of summer recruit Renato Veiga, who has experience playing both in defence and midfield, acting as an inverted left-back alongside Lesley Ugochukwu, who netted Chelsea’s equaliser against Inter Milan on Sunday. Conor Gallagher, who is technically still a Chelsea player and may yet stay, takes the No. 8 spot next to Cesare Casadei.
On the left wing, we have Raheem Sterling, with Noni Madueke on the right. Armando Broja, who, like Chalobah, has been sent to train with the reserves, leads the attack.
Chelsea’s line-up
There are still plenty of big-hitters in this line-up
Line-up No. 4
We’re in the weeds a little here, but with a bit of creativity, we’ve found a fourth line-up available to Maresca. Marcus Bettinelli is in goal, with young talents Zak Surge, Josh Acheampong and Harrison Murray-Campbell forming the defensive line ahead of him.
In midfield, we’ve paired Tino Anjorin with Leo Castledine, who made his senior debut in the EFL Cup last year. Ahead of them in the two No. 8 positions are summer signing from Aston Villa, Omari Kellyman, as well as Tyrique George.
Leading the line, we have wantaway striker Romelu Lukaku, flanked by promising Brazilian pair Deivid Washington and Angelo Gabriel on the wings. Notable omissions include Kepa Arrizabalaga and David Datro Fofana, both of whom are expected to seal moves away this month.
Chelsea’s line-up
If you scramble together a couple of youngsters from the reserves, Chelsea can make a fourth XI
