Update, Monday night, on Christian Pulisic, via Frank Lampard: “He is in the squad for tomorrow but yet to be decided whether he starts or not. Positive news from the weekend.”
It’s a very quick turnaround for Chelsea FC as they have little to no time to lick their wounds after the disappointing Everton defeat on the weekend. Expected to strongly contend for the Premier League title this season, the Blues may have fallen out of the top four by the time you read this/their next match is staged.
Tuesday night sees the west London club head to the Midlands, to take on Wolverhampton Wanderers in league play.
(Update: Chelsea receive UCL draw)
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Chelsea FC FYIs
Chelsea FC Starting XI Prediction: go to this link
Kickoff: Tuesday Dec 15, 6pm GMT, Molineux Stadium
League position: Chelsea 4th, 22 points Wolverhampton Wanderers 12th, 17 points
Premier League form guide: Chelsea LWDWW Wolverhampton Wanderers LLWDW
Official: Stuart Attwell
Viewing options: Amazon Prime (UK), fuboTV (US)
Team News
It’s hard to make heads or tails of the fitness situation surrounding Christian Pulisic for this one. Will he be available? I don’t know because heading into Saturday, manager Frank Lampard said the American, despite having missing out on the Champions League clash in midweek, was 100% full go for Everton.
He was left out of the team entirely, after Lampard said Pulisic had “awareness” in the hamstring area during training this week.
Quite the euphemism there- “awareness.” I think everyday, past age 40, I have woken up with “awareness” in my knees, and back.
Sticking with the attack, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Hakim Ziyech remain out due to injury, and they’re not expected back until Boxing Day give or take.
Elsewhere, Kai Havertz is fit, but he still got subbed off yesterday due to his struggling mightily right now when it comes to form.
Flipping over to the hosts, superstar Raul Jimenez is out injured, and that’s not exactly news for this one, but his absence is still the top story, team news wise.
Fabio Silva, who broke the club transfer fee record when he signed in the summer, is off to a great start though.
Left back Jonny Otto remains sidelined, due to injury while Joao Moutinho picked up his second yellow card and he’s now suspended for this match.
Prediction: Wolves 1, Chelsea 1
Chelsea have been consistent this season, beating up on the bottom of the table, while not taking care of the teams above them in the table.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.