Chelsea got their 2025 FIFA Club World Cup campaign off to a rip roaring start this week, with a 2-0 win over LAFC in the Atlanta. Even if barely anyone was there to see it. Attendance for that match was laughably bad, but we’ll see if that changes when the scene shifts to Philadelphia, City of Brotherly Love and home of the NFL’s current reigning Super Bowl champion, the Philadelphia Eagles. And when they get there, they’ll face Flamengo, who will provide a noticeable step up in opposition.
Chelsea vs Flamengo FYIs
Kickoff: Fri June 20, 2pm EST, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
Competition: 2025 FIFA Club World Group D Matchday 2 of 3
Chelsea Preview Material: Tournament Preview Latest Transfer Talk
Watch: streamed free on DAZN, plus TNT, TRU TV are airing select games, including this specific one.
Blues Team News
There is really nothing new to share here, other than the situation surrounding Mykhailo Mudryk. The Football Association announced earlier today that the Ukrainian winger now faces further potential suspension.
“We can confirm that Mykhailo Mudryk has been charged with Anti-Doping Rule Violations alleging the presence and/or use of a prohibited substance, in terms of Regulations 3 and 4 of The FA’s Anti-Doping Regulations,” the FA statement reads in part.
“As this is an ongoing case, we are not in a position to comment further at this time.”
Mudryk could now face an even longer suspension, so his availability for selection (as well as his future with the club) remains up in the air.
Moving on to the players that are in America, and whom among them could be in the first team, we expect manager Enzo Maresca to do some squad rotation here.
This is our best guess:
Chelsea Starting XI Prediction vs Flamengo (Club World Cup)
Robert Sanchez; Malo Gusto, Tosin Adarabioyo, Levi Colwill, Marc Cucurella; Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo; Neto, Cole Palmer, Tyrique George; Liam Delap
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter