On his Youtube today, James Lawrence Allcot looked at Leicester this season and tried to model a Chelsea team from this current squad that matched it.
This is the team he ends up with:
James – Disasi – Fofana – Cucurella
Gallagher-Fernandez- Caicedo
Palmer-Nkunku-Sterling
A blank in goal, because he’s convinced that a new goalkeeper needs to be brought in to play out from back for Maresca.
Marc Cucurella plays at left back, because he’s comfortable coming inside, as he proved in the final games of last season. That’s something we will see more of with Maresca is in charge. Given Ben Chilwell’s injury problems, it seems likely that Cucurella has a great chance to be number one starting the season if he fits that interior role well.
Trevoh Chalobah doesn’t make it because he’s likely to be sold.
The final back four is completed with Axel Disasi, with plenty of competition from Levi Colwill and Benoit Badiashile, and Wesley Fofana, who we’re all hoping will be back to his best after preseason – but seems unlikely.
The midfield picks itself – the two £100m men plus Conor Gallagher if he stays, and probably Romeo Lavia if he goes.
Up front, he sees Cole Palmer used in a “floaty” right winger role, with Raheem Sterling playing more direct down the left, and Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson alternating in the middle.
Quite a few of those players – Sterling, Fofana, Gallagher, Disasi and Cucurella in particular, are choices that some Blues fans would take major issue with, or whose status at the club next season is in question. Given the Blues could also yet sign several players, it’s easy to see this prediction being out by a huge amount.
A difficult squad to fit
Injuries racked the squad this season, but by August they’ll theoretically all be back, and there will be huge selection calls for Maresca from day one. Preseason will be vital for him to try and get a grasp on what’s available. By the sounds of things he’s already seen all of last season’s games in order to impress in his interview. We wonder if he drew the same conclusions that Chelsea fans did about the players in the squad.
