Chelsea are scheduled to face an unnamed Championship side in a friendly behind closed doors at the weekend.
With a three-week international break, Xabi Alonso will want to keep the players currently away from their national team in some sort of rhythm with the return of club football on the horizon.
With Bournemouth the visitors at Stamford Bridge in eight days’ time, Alonso will want the existing Chelsea players to get a feel for a game-type scenario once again after spending the last few weeks without a match.
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Also, there are a few injured players that we are waiting to hear an update on if Alonso wants to give him some minutes. So with that being said, football.london Here’s a look at what Chelsea’s possible squad could look like for the friendly.
Emiliano Martinez and Mike Penders are on international duty with Argentina and Belgium respectively, so there could be an opportunity for Teddy Sharman-Lowe or Gabriel Slonina.
Given that Sharman-Lowe was given more minutes during Chelsea’s pre-season tour, he could be in the posts this weekend. There is also a world where Alonso gives both goalkeepers 45 minutes in a friendly match.
Maxence Lacroix is away with France and Josh Acheampong is away with England Under-21s, so Alonso doesn’t have full defensive options. But that could pave the way for Aaron Anselmino to start in the back three alongside Wesley Fofana and Levi Colwill.
Marco Palestra has been training for the past few weeks as he looks to make his competitive debut for Chelsea following his £47million summer signing. Alonso will be desperate to give the Italian some minutes on the pitch, perhaps at right-back with Pep Chavarria on the other flank.
Reggie Watson and Mehdi Nicoll-Jazuli could get some minutes, but Alonso could start the two big options if available. Jordan Henderson made his debut for the Blues last time out against Brentford, while Moises Caicedo has played just 14 minutes since the start of the season.
Chelsea face an anxious wait with Caicedo having a calf problem at the start of his campaign. If the Ecuadorian is fit enough to feature, he would do well to get a few minutes under his belt in the friendly behind closed doors.
The front three can be a bit temporary. Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro, realistically, cannot play, as in-game information would have raised the issue had England and Brazil both been ruled out of international duty with muscle injuries if they were leaked as they often are.
Malo Gusto can be given a role in the front three. At this point, it seems to us that we have seen the French being used everywhere on the pitch. With Alonso not blessed with options, Gusto could be used on the right flank of the attack in a 3-4-3.
Kendry Paez has recently been working with Cobham Next Gen – Chelsea’s newly-named U-21 side – with Alonso confirming last month that the Ecuadorian is not part of his first-team plans this season. Paez will be hoping to get some minutes and could play behind No. 9 Danny Welbeck as an inside forward on the outside left.
Possible Chelsea XI (3-4-3): Sharman-Lowe; Fofana, Anselmino, Colwill; Palestra, Henderson, Caicedo, Chavarria; Gusto, Paez, Welbeck
Other first team players not on international duty: Gabriel Slonina, Rice James, Emmanuel Emegha, Joao Pedro, Cole Palmer