Coming off a dominant 3-0 win over Aston Villa on Sunday, the Blues travel to the south coast to face a struggling Southampton team, currently sitting at the bottom of the table.
With little rest following their impressive performance, manager Enzo Maresca is expected to rotate his squad for his first midweek Premier League match of the season. While Maresca has regularly made changes in the Europa Conference League, the Premier League remains Chelsea’s top priority, and player fitness and injuries will likely influence his lineup.
Wesley Fofana, who suffered a hamstring injury against Villa, will be out for several weeks, opening the door for Benoit Badiashile to partner Levi Colwill in central defense. Malo Gusto could also return to the starting XI, allowing Moises Caicedo to shift back into midfield after filling in at right-back against Villa.
Romeo Lavia, who played 86 minutes in the last match, might be rested, with Caicedo taking his place in the middle of the park.
In attack, Noni Madueke could replace Pedro Neto, while Joao Felix might shift to the left wing in place of Jadon Sancho. Cole Palmer, who earned man-of-the-match honors against Villa, is likely to keep his spot.
The most notable change could come in the striker position. Christopher Nkunku, Chelsea’s top scorer, may make his first Premier League start of the season, potentially replacing Nicolas Jackson, who scored in Sunday’s win.
Predicted Chelsea XI (4-2-3-1):
Robert Sanchez; Marc Cucurella, Levi Colwill, Benoit Badiashile, Malo Gusto; Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez; Joao Felix, Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke; Christopher Nkunku
