Chelsea will return to Premier League action on Sunday afternoon when they host Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge this weekend.
The Blues fell to defeat at Anfield last weekend against Liverpool, but returned to winning ways in Europe with a 4-1 win over Panathinaikos with a much-changed team on Thursday, while the Magpies had a poor performance and were beaten by high-flying Brighton in their last fixture last weekend.
Both teams will look to make a return to winning ways domestically, and this is how GIVEMESPORT expects both managers to line up.
Chelsea Team News
Maresca has full bill of health
Injuries have been a big part of the situation at Chelsea in recent times, but Enzo Maresca has got a huge boost after coming through the most recent game week totally unscathed.
Captain Reece James and midfielder Romeo Lavia returned from long-term injuries last week and have had no reactions, while a host of first-team stars were rested in midweek which means they’ll come into the game fresh. Young striker Omari Kellyman remains the only player to be sidelined with a hamstring injury expected to keep him out for the foreseeable future.
| Chelsea Injuries and Suspensions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | Injury | Potential Return Date |
| Omari Kellyman | Hamstring | December 2025 |
Maresca Drops Team News Update
Speaking after the win over Panathinaikos on Thursday, Maresca shared an update on the fitness of his squad ahead of this game.
“For him and Romeo [Lavia], the idea was for him and Romeo to have one hour or 55 minutes maximum. I was quite afraid to keep them on for more minutes on the pitch so I decided to change both of them on 55 minutes. Chilly [Ben Chilwell] is one of our players. He was ill [this week], so he didn’t get any sessions. We will see how he is today and tomorrow.”
Chelsea Predicted XI
Pedro Neto pushing to start
After a good performance against Liverpool, Maresca made 11 changes in midweek and got another strong showing from his team which could see some players given a chance. £54m summer signing Pedro Neto has impressed in recent weeks and could come in ahead of Noni Madueke out wide, but Joao Felix is likely to miss out because he’s competing with Cole Palmer.
In defence it’s another chance for Reece James to get more minutes under his belt at right-back, while Romeo Lavia should start again in place of Enzo Fernandez.
