HULL, ENGLAND – JANUARY 25: Fikayo Tomori of Chelsea celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal during the FA Cup Fourth Round match between Hull City and Chelsea at KCOM Stadium on January 25, 2020 in Hull, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
The captain and the ever-present part of the team. Dave will be starting regardless of the fitness of the impressive Reece James, mostly due to the dearth of depth in the fullback positions. He still provides quality as the Spaniard is one of the better and most consistent performers for the London club. He is tied with Tammy Abraham for the most starts this season as outfield players.
Christensen has been sensational for the Blues since his return, emerging as the clear-cut first-choice defender. While he may not be getting the limelight that his fellow academy graduates have enjoyed, the Danish youngster is a crucial part of Chelsea’s plan with his exceptional passing ability as well as his defensive acumen. So much so that he is drawing interest from RB Leipzig.
CB: Fikayo Tomori
We are breaking up the usual suspects in the backline. Fikayo Tomori has proved once against that he should be starting in the Premier League matches again, putting on a stellar performance alongside the game-winner against Hull City. The Englishman has not started a league game since December 26th, but the academy product has earned a place in the starting XI.
LB: Emerson
A more debatable selection, as if Reece James’ injury isn’t as serious as it was initially reported, he would be starting. However, Chelsea has been suspiciously quiet regarding the situation. I’m not a believer that Lampard would risk the youngster of even more injury.
Don’t be fooled. This is the best of the worst of the bunch, with the alternative being also struggling Marcos Alonso.
most goals from outside the box</a> in the Premier League.</p>
<p>Not much Lampard can do with this position, but the Blues fan can only hope and pray that Kepa finds his form from last season.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #0" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-predicted-xi-no-reasons-risk-injuries/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Defenders: A new centerback duo </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-478353" src=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-predicted-xi-no-reasons-risk-injuries/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fplayingfor90.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1201931265-850x560.jpeg" alt="" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">HULL, ENGLAND – JANUARY 25: Fikayo Tomori of Chelsea celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal during the FA Cup Fourth Round match between Hull City and Chelsea at KCOM Stadium on January 25, 2020 in Hull, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>RB: <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-predicted-xi-no-reasons-risk-injuries/2/"https://fbref.com/en/players/53cad200/Cesar-Azpilicueta?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Cesar Azpilicueta</a></h3>
<p>The captain and the ever-present part of the team. Dave will be starting regardless of the fitness of the impressive <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-predicted-xi-no-reasons-risk-injuries/2/"https://fbref.com/en/players/1265a93a/Reece-James?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Reece James</a>, mostly due to the dearth of depth in the fullback positions. He still provides quality as the Spaniard is one of the better and most consistent performers for the London club. He is tied with <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-predicted-xi-no-reasons-risk-injuries/2/"https://fbref.com/en/players/f586779e/Tammy-Abraham?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Tammy Abraham</a> for the most starts this season as outfield players.</p>
<h3>CB: <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-predicted-xi-no-reasons-risk-injuries/2/"https://fbref.com/en/players/1cb49278/Andreas-Christensen?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Andreas Christensen</a></h3>
<p>Christensen has been sensational for the Blues since his return, emerging as the clear-cut first-choice defender. While he may not be getting the limelight that his fellow academy graduates have enjoyed, the Danish youngster is a crucial part of Chelsea’s plan with his exceptional passing ability as well as his defensive acumen. So much so that he is drawing interest from <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-predicted-xi-no-reasons-risk-injuries/2/"https://www.bild.de/sport/fussball/fussball/alles-klar-mit-olmo-lazaro-jetzt-will-rb-leipzig-auch-christensen-67516508.bild.html#fromWall">RB Leipzig</a>.</p>
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<h3>CB: Fikayo Tomori</h3>
<p>We are breaking up the usual suspects in the backline. Fikayo Tomori has proved once against that he should be starting in the Premier League matches again, putting on a stellar performance alongside the game-winner against Hull City. The Englishman has not started a league game since December 26th, but the academy product has earned a place in the starting XI.</p>
<h3>LB: Emerson</h3>
<p>A more debatable selection, as if Reece James’ injury isn’t as serious as it was initially reported, he would be starting. However, Chelsea has been suspiciously quiet regarding the situation. I’m not a believer that Lampard would risk the youngster of even more injury.</p>
<p>Don’t be fooled. This is the best of the worst of the bunch, with the alternative being also struggling <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-predicted-xi-no-reasons-risk-injuries/2/"https://fbref.com/en/players/f4290206/Marcos-Alonso?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Marcos Alonso</a>.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #0" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-predicted-xi-no-reasons-risk-injuries/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Midfield: No place for Mount </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-478354" src=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-predicted-xi-no-reasons-risk-injuries/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fplayingfor90.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1195306681-850x560.jpeg" alt="" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;"><a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-predicted-xi-no-reasons-risk-injuries/2/"https://fbref.com/en/players/79c0821a/Mateo-Kovacic?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mateo Kovacic</a> of Chelsea in action during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Arsenal at Stamford Bridge, London on Tuesday 21st January 2020. (Photo by Jacques Feeney/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>CM: N’Golo Kante</h3>
<p>The Frenchman is in a bit of a weird position at the Stamford Bridge. While Kante is still a world-class player without a modicum of doubt, his role in the club has become muddled. With Chelsea becoming much more attacking and possessive, the central midfielder is forced further up the pitch, not able to utilize the core component of his game – mopping up in front of the backline and advancing it to more creative players.</p>
<p>Regardless of the role, Kante should be untouchable unless injured or suspended. He will start against his former club.</p>
<h3>CM: Jorginho</h3>
<p>The man who replaced Kante in a deeper role. The Italian has arguably been the most important player for Chelsea this season. Jorginho has been the best of both worlds, averaging 71.1 passes per game and 2.3 interceptions – <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-predicted-xi-no-reasons-risk-injuries/2/"https://www.whoscored.com/Regions/252/Tournaments/2/Seasons/7811/Stages/17590/PlayerStatistics/England-Premier-League-2019-2020">both good enough for fourth in the league</a>. He has been a crucial pivot between defense and attack, incredibly important in this much more advanced <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-predicted-xi-no-reasons-risk-injuries/2/"https://fbref.com/en/players/268df6b1/Frank-Lampard?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Frank Lampard</a> tactics.</p>
<h3>CM: Mateo Kovacic</h3>
<p>The midfield fit is a bit of a concern. I feel like this team needs a more creative force in <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-predicted-xi-no-reasons-risk-injuries/2/"https://fbref.com/en/players/9674002f/Mason-Mount?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Mason Mount</a>, but he’s been playing with <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-predicted-xi-no-reasons-risk-injuries/2/"https://twitter.com/cfcdaily/status/1220441821962231810?s=21%22>a knock for a while</a> and his performances have suffered because of it. Instead, we insert Mateo Kovacic, who has been sparking this season. While more suited as a deep-lying playmaker, the Croatian has also proven that he can play a more advanced role. Kovacic is averaging 2.6 dribbles per game, leading the team and eighth in the league (though the fact that Kovacic is leading the team in dribbles might spell a bigger problem).</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #0" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-predicted-xi-no-reasons-risk-injuries/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Forwards: Help us, Batsman! </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-478355" src=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-predicted-xi-no-reasons-risk-injuries/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fplayingfor90.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1202021567-850x560.jpeg" alt="" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">HULL, ENGLAND – JANUARY 25: <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-predicted-xi-no-reasons-risk-injuries/2/"https://fbref.com/en/players/2973d8ff/Michy-Batshuayi?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Michy Batshuayi</a> of Chelsea runs with the ball during the FA Cup Fourth Round match between Hull City and Chelsea FC at KCOM Stadium on January 25, 2020 in Hull, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>RW: Willian</h3>
<p>As much of a flack Willian gets, the winger has been one of the better players for Chelsea. The Brazilian is leading the team in <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-predicted-xi-no-reasons-risk-injuries/2/"https://www.whoscored.com/Teams/15/Show/England-Chelsea">assists, key passes, crosses, and foul earned per game</a>. Perhaps it is the lack of quality in the wings at the moment (hint hint – it is), but Willian is a key player in the attack for the Blues.</p>
<h3>ST: Michy Batshuayi</h3>
<p>A similar situation to Reece James. While there are reports that Chelsea may ask Tammy Abraham to <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-predicted-xi-no-reasons-risk-injuries/2/"https://soccer.nbcsports.com/2020/01/28/report-chelsea-may-ask-abraham-to-play-through-injury/">play through injury</a>, it seems like a long shot. There really isn’t an incredible reason to risk the Englishman in this game, even though Chelsea should attempt to close the gap between Leicester. <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-predicted-xi-no-reasons-risk-injuries/2/"https://fbref.com/en/players/16ceb862/Olivier-Giroud?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Olivier Giroud</a> seems to be one foot out the door, that it leaves the Batsman as the only real viable option. However, perhaps the Belgian isn’t as woeful as advertised, as <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-predicted-xi-no-reasons-risk-injuries/2/"https://twitter.com/goal/status/1221158195927883776">he’s been directly involved in eighteen goals in the last eighteen starts in English domestic cups</a>.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="Potential replacements for Kepa" data-url="https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/chelsea-4-potential-replacements-kepa-arrizabalaga/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background: #0" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-predicted-xi-no-reasons-risk-injuries/2/"https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/chelsea-4-potential-replacements-kepa-arrizabalaga/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> Potential replacements for Kepa </a> </div>
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<h3>LW: Callum Hudson-Odoi</h3>
<p>Despite playing third of the minutes that Willian played, Callum Hudson-Odoi is tied with the Brazilian in assists. The English winger has sparked the last few games, often providing the only source of creativity for the team. The youngster should be a regular in the starting lineup until proven otherwise.</p>
<h2>Should Tammy Abraham start? Let us know!</h2><!—pageview_candidate—>">