Friday, August 25, is another date for coach Mauricio Pochettino to prove to the world that this season’s Chelsea are better than last season’s Blues.
The struggling highly funded squad will welcome newly promoted Luton Town to Stamford Bridge that has not recorded a win so far this season.
Recall that Chelsea drew 1-1 with Liverpool in their 2023-2024 Premier League opener and followed that up with a 3-1 defeat at the hands of West Ham United at London Stadium last weekend.
Fortunately, The Blues will go against the Hatters who are also yet to record a win in the Premier League. The newcomers have played only once this season and the game ended in 4-1 bashing at the hands of Brighton on August 12.
On Friday, they will face Chelsea who they last beat in December 1991. The last two times they both met, Chelsea won, the latest being a 3-2 FA Cup away win in March 2022.
Chelsea vs. Luton: Team News
Carney Chukwuemeka is the latest addition to coach Pochettino’s disturbing list of injured players. He is expected to be sidelined for 6 weeks as he continues to recover from knee surgery.
Wesley Fofana, Christopher Nkunku (both knee), Reece James (hamstring), and Trevoh Chalobah (thigh), are out of the game.
Also, Mykhaylo Mudryk who skipped the team’s training on Wednesday due to an unspecified problem, is now a doubt for the game.
The good news for Chelsea is that Benoit Badiashile and Armando Broja have resumed training after suffering from hamstring and knee issues, respectively, and they might be included in the matchday squad on Friday.
As for coach Rob Edwards, he will likely face Chelsea without Reece Burke (knee), Gabriel Osho (knee), Jordan Clark (ankle), and Dan Potts (ankle).
Ross Barkley, a former Chelsea player, could make his Luton Town debut, but Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu, Marvelous Nakamba, and Tahith Chong are expected to start in center midfield ahead of him. Jacob Brown will compete with Elijah Adebayo for a starting spot up front with Morris.
Chelsea probable lineup:
Sanchez; Disasi, Silva, Colwill; Gusto, Fernandez, Caicedo, Chilwell; Gallagher, Sterling; Jackson
Luton Town probable lineup:
Kaminski; Andersen, Lockyer, Bell; Kabore, Mpanzu, Nakamba, Chong, Giles; Adebayo, Morris
Prediction:
Chelsea have a whopping 79 percent chance of beating Luton Town on Friday and it will be a shocker if the newcomers get even a point in the game. The Blues should beat Luton Town 3-1.
The post Chelsea Vs. Luton Town Preview: Team News, Probable Lineups, Prediction appeared first on Naija News.