Chelsea are set to take on Esperance Tunis in a must-not-lose Club World Cup group-stage clash on Tuesday, and head coach Enzo Maresca will be forced to make changes to his starting XI following the suspension of striker Nicolas Jackson.
Jackson picked up a red card in the 3-1 defeat to Flamengo, leaving Chelsea without one of their key forwards for this crucial encounter. The Blues now need at least a draw to book their place in the knockout rounds of the competition.
With Jackson unavailable, Liam Delap is expected to lead the line. The £30m summer signing from Ipswich Town is yet to open his Chelsea account but will be looking to make his mark in this decisive fixture. A reshuffle in the attacking third could also see Noni Madueke start, prompting Reece James to move back into his usual right-back role after featuring in midfield against Flamengo.
The midfield trio of Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, and Cole Palmer is set to remain unchanged, as they continue to be central to Maresca’s tactical plans. Palmer in particular will be key in linking midfield and attack. Meanwhile, Joao Felix, Raheem Sterling, Axel Disasi, and Djordje Petrovic were all omitted from the Club World Cup squad amid growing speculation around their futures at the club.
Chelsea’s expected starting XI:
Sanchez; James, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Madueke, Palmer, Neto; Delap. With knockout qualification on the line, Chelsea will need a cohesive and clinical performance to bounce back from the Flamengo setback and avoid early elimination from the tournament.