This weekend saw Chelsea FC do exactly what they’re supposed to do, against a lower division side, as they crushed fourth tier Morecambe, 5-0, in their FA Cup opener on Saturday. Now the opposition gets a whole lot tougher, with AFC Bournemouth coming to town for a league fixture in midweek.
There was obviously, and naturally, some squad rotation last time out.
Chelsea FC vs AFC Bournemouth FYIs
Kick: Sat. Jan. 4, 2pm, Stamford Bridge, London, UK
Google Result Probability: Chelsea FC win 60% Draw 21% AFC Bournemouth 19%
PL Standing, Form Guide: Chelsea FC 4th, 36 pts, WDLLD AFC Bournemouth 7th, 33 pts, DWDDW
Now it’s time to rotate the regulars back in.
Blues Team News
There is really nothing new to report on here. I mean, when you have insane fixture congestion like this, all the time, chances are that not much is going to change, most of the time at least, from the last Team News article that you did, just a couple days ago.
So let’s just get to the lineup prediction for a match that looks to be quite challenging on paper.
Chelsea Starting XI Prediction vs AFC Bournemouth
Robert Sanchez; Malo Gusto, Tosin Adarabioyo, Levi Colwill, Marc Cucurella; Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo; Pedro Neto, Cole Palmer, Jadon Sancho; Nicolas Jackson
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, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. 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.