Captain Reece James: Enzo Maresca has announced six changes to the Chelsea team for Sunday’s Premier League game against Arsenal with the absence of Cole Palmer being the most notable change.
Palmer, who is Chelsea’s top scorer this season, has not found the back of the net in the last seven league games now. The last league game in which the Englishman did not start for Chelsea was the 5-0 defeat at the Emirates Stadium in April, 2024.
The Italian head coach has selected Robert Sanchez between the posts for the second league game in a row. In defence, Marc Cucurella returns at left-back with Wesley Fofana expected to line up on the opposite side. Levi Colwill joins Benoit Badiashile in the heart of defence.
Captain Reece James will be partnering Moises Caicedo in midfield, like he did away to Aston Villa, with Enzo Fernandez in a more advanced role. With Cole Palmer not in the squad, Jadon Sancho, Pedro Neto and Christopher Nkunku are the attacking trio selected by Maresca.
For Arsenal, Mikel Arteta has shuffled his pack again after making a raft of changes from the midweek Champions League game against PSV Eindhoven.
The manager has recalled six players to his starting XI to face Chelsea at Emirates Stadium including Brazilian forward Gabriel Martinelli, who starts for the first time since February 5, having been used from the bench in the last two games.
Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Thomas Partey, Martin Odegaard and Leandro Trossard all return as well, while Mikel Merino starts his sixth successive match up front.
Ethan Nwaneri is among the substitutes, but Raheem Sterling is not in the matchday squad at all, as the on-loan forward is ineligible to face his parent club.
Squads:
Chelsea: Sanchez, Fofana, Badiashile, Colwill, Cucurella, James (c), Caicedo, Neto, Enzo Fernandez, Sancho, Nkunku
Chelsea substitutes: Bettinelli, Jorgensen, Tosin, Chalobah, Acheampong, Gusto, Lavia, Dewsbury-Hall, George
Arsenal: Raya, Timber, Gabriel, Saliba, Lewis-Skelly, Partey, Rice, Odegaard (c), Trossard, Merino, Martinelli
Chelsea substitutes: Bettinelli, Jorgensen, Tosin, Chalobah, Acheampong, Gusto, Lavia, Dewsbury-Hall, George
Article Source: IANS
