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With John Terry going over on his ankle in the Champions League semi-final first leg against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday, Chelsea are short on numbers going into the crucial title clash against Liverpool on Sunday.
While Jose Mourinho has suggested that he will field a weakened side against the Reds with priority focused on progressing to the Champions League final as opposed to their faltering title bid with just a few games left, but with so many of his players out on loan currently, it seems far-fetched to believe that to be entirely true.
But some changes will be enforced and with Terry ruled out of the trip to Anfield with his ankle injury, Chelsea will need to find a suitable replacement to line up alongside Gary Cahill to take on the formadible duo of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge.
David Luiz
David Luiz of Chelsea in action during the UEFA Champions League semi final match between Club Atletico de Madrid and Chelsea FC
With Nemanja Matic available after being ineligible to play in the Champions League, Chelsea have cover in the midfield again and that frees up David Luiz to move back into the centre of defence.
The Brazilian was actually partially at fault for Terry’s injury in an ironic sense (as well as Petr Cech’s dislocated shoulder), but with centre-back being his preferred position, he will be more than happy to fill in for his crippled captain.
With Barcelona rumoured to be interested in hiring him to plug the gaps in their own leaky defence, he needs to demonstrate his abilities once again in the back four, so this would be the perfect opportunity.
Mourinho has preferred to play him as a midfielder and with Luiz having won just 17 tackles at a success rate of 37%, one can understand his concern with fielding him regularly at the heart of his back-line, especially against the highest goal-scorers in the Premier League.
However, the Brazilian has made six clearances for every 90 minutes of action despite having played in a more advanced role, so with his hand forced, Mourinho can rest easy in the knowledge that Luiz is alert enough to get the ball clear quickly, a key quality when facing the rampant Reds’ forwards.
Branislav Ivanovic
Branislav Ivanovic of Chelsea and Marko Arnautovic of Stoke City compete for the ball during the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and Stoke City
Another option would be to move Branislav Ivanovic into the centre, with that actually being the Serbian defender’s preferred position.
With Cesar Azpilicueta and Ashley Cole having impressed heavily in the draw with Atletico, it would seem harsh on either of them to drop out of the team again and with Terry on the sidelines, it could prove the perfect time to move Ivanovic back into the centre.
Ivanovic actually boasts a higher tackle success than Terry, who has won 18 tackles with a success rate of 47%, while his Serbian colleague has achieved 52 successful tackles and emerged victorious in 56% of his contested duels on the deck.
Ivanovic would also compensate better for the lack of Terry’s aerial presence and again would almost offer an improvement, having won 25 more headers than his captain, winning 68% of his aerial battles, with Terry having won 63% of his.
With his full-backs having proven themselves very competent against fellow surprise league leaders Atletico on Tuesday, they should be trusted again against Liverpool and allow Ivanovic to fill in for the fallen Terry.
Nathan Ake
Manchester City’s James Milner (C) fights for the ball with Chelsea’s Nathan Ake (R) during a friendly match at Yankee Stadium
If Mourinho does follow through with his threat to play youngsters and fringe players, than Nathan Ake could be the man to step up and try to fill the very sizable shoes of club legend John Terry.
The 19-year-old was voted as Chelsea’s young player of the year last season after he made significant strides towards the first team, making his debut under Rafa Benitez in both the league and in Europe, coming on as a substitute in the Europa League march towards success.
He hasn’t enjoyed the same amount of appearances under Mourinho, but with so few options actually remaining for the Portuguese tactician, he could look to throw the youngster in at the deep end, with players often reacting well to making their first appearances in high pressure games.
Tottenham Hotspur gave Nabil Bentaleb his first start against local rivals Arsenal in the FA Cup and he did impress despite the eventual defeat, and Chelsea could look to benefit his desire to impress by putting him up against the most dangerous striker in Europe on current form.
