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Chelsea will kick off their 2022-23 Premier League campaign with a tricky trip to Everton’s Goodison Park on Saturday evening (August 6).
The Blues, who finished third in the Premier League last season, will look to make a winning start to keep themselves from falling behind in the title race. Frank Lampard’s Toffees, on the other hand, will be aiming to make a confident start at home after last season’s shambolic 16th-placed finish.
Chelsea, who are coming into the fixture on the back of a 3-1 pre-season win over Udinese, could be without Timo Werner on Saturday. The German is racing against time to recover from a hamstring injury (as per Mirror).
Apart from the forward, the Blues do not have any other major injury concerns and should be able to field a strong XI against Everton.
Here’s how the team could look at Goodison Park this Saturday:
Goalkeeper: Edouard Mendy
Senegalese shot-stopper Edouard Mendy should start ahead of Kepa Arrizabalaga on Saturday.
The 30-year-old, who should instill some much-appreciated calmness at the back for the Blues, could also play a big role in helping compatriot Kalidou Koulibaly feel at home.
Centre-back: Cesar Azpilicueta
The Blues’ ever-reliable skipper Cesar Azpilicueta squashed exit talks on Thursday (August 4), signing a new contract and prolonging his stay at Stamford Bridge for at least two more years.
With his future now settled, the veteran defender will have the mental space to give it his all for the London outfit and could make it a difficult night for Everton.
Centre-back: Thiago Silva
With Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen leaving as free agents this summer, Thiago Silva is set to have even more responsibility at the back.
Given his quality, this should not be an issue for the former Paris Saint-Germain defender.
The Brazilian enjoyed a good pre-season campaign and should sit at the heart of Thomas Tuchel’s three-man backline on Saturday.
Centre-back: Kalidou Koulibaly
Signed from Napoli in July, Koulibaly is all set to make his competitive debut for the Blues against Everton.
Wearing John Terry’s legendary No. 26 shirt, Koulibaly will look to make a winning start to his life as a Chelsea player.
He will be looking to put his best foot forward to achieve that goal against the spirited Merseyside outfit this weekend.
Right wing-back: Reece James
Having missed a big chunk of the 2021-22 campaign due to injuries, Reece James will look to make a strong start to the new season.
The England international looked a little off-pace in pre-season, especially in the 4-0 defeat to Arsenal.
However, he is unlikely to be as casual in the Blues' season opener against Lampard’s team.
Central midfielder: Jorginho
With Mateo Kovacic not yet fully fit, vice-captain Jorginho could get the nod ahead of him in the Blues’ season opener.
Jorginho enjoyed a fruitful pre-season, looking confident pulling strings from the middle of the park.
He could offer the London giants stability in the middle of the pitch, but might struggle to keep up with the pace of Everton’s midfielder.
Central midfielder: N’Golo Kante
2018 World Cup winner N’Golo Kante missed 11 Premier League games in the 2021-22 season.
Without their engine, the west London outfit often looked clueless in midfield and sorely missed his driving runs through the middle of the pitch.
Thankfully for the Blues, their midfield maestro has seemingly put his issues behind him and looked considerably sharp in pre-season fixtures.
Unless he suffers a setback, Kante should be an automatic selection for Tuchel at Goodison Park.
Left wing-back: Ben Chilwell
Chilwell, who suffered an ACL rupture in November last year, provides Tuchel’s side with some much-needed dynamism on the left.
Without his marauding runs and smart interceptions down that channel, the Stamford Bridge outfit simply do not look the same.
Luckily for the Blues, Chilwell has completely recovered from his injury and is in line to make his first competitive start in 10 months.
Right-winger: Mason Mount
Mason Mount emerged as one of the Blues' most impressive performers in the 2021-22 season, recording 11 goals and 10 assists in 32 Premier League matches.
The Englishman, who scored twice in four pre-season matches, looks prepared to have another fruitful campaign this time around.
Expect him to drift into his preferred No. 10 role even if he starts on the right on Saturday.
Left-winger: Raheem Sterling
Tuchel could hand Raheem Sterling his much-anticipated competitive Chelsea debut at Goodison Park.
With Romelu Lukaku loaned out to Inter Milan, Sterling could have the responsibility of being more proactive up top and becoming a little more trigger-happy in front of goal.
Sterling found the back of the net in the Blues’ last pre-season clash against Udinese and should be full of confidence ahead of Saturday’s clash.
Centre-forward: Kai Havertz
Tuchel used Kai Havertz as a centre-forward last season, and the results were more than satisfactory.
With Lukaku loaned out and Werner doubtful for the game, Havertz seems to be the automatic choice to lead the Blues’ attack at the weekend.
Havertz had a tough time going toe-to-toe with the Everton defenders in his last visit to Goodison Park. Expect him to take a smarter approach this time around.
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