Predicted XI: Cole Palmer benched for one more game as Enzo Maresca plays it safe | OneFootball

Chelsea face Bournemouth today as they look to recover from a bad midweek result against Leeds.

It’s a tough call for selection from Enzo Maresca, who won’t want to take any risks but also needs to make sure his team start the game well.

Chelsea’s likely team to face Bournemouth leaves out Palmer

Cole Palmer looks frustrated. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Robert Sanchez plays in goal, that much we’re sure of. After that, there are questions.

Reece James got a midweek rest so he will be back in too – presumably at right back, but possibly also in midfield while Moises Caicedo remains out.

If James is at right back, we should see Wesley Fofana and Trevoh Chalobah in the middle. Marc Cucurella desperately needs a rest, but Chelsea desperately need a result, so we reckon Maresca wheels him out one more time.

Andrey Santos will partner Enzo Fernandez in the middle. Alejandro Garnacho should be restored to the left wing and Pedro Neto to the right, leaving just the striker and number ten up for grabs. Maresca has said that Cole Palmer is fit to start, but we’re not sure he will. It seems more likely to us that the Liam Delap, Joao Pedro combination continues, with Palmer replacing one of them at half time or shortly afterwards.

The alternative would be Malo Gusto continuing at full back, James playing in a midfield 3 with Santos and Enzo, then just one of JP or Delap being flanked by Garnacho and Neto.

In other presser news…

Liam Delap is the player who could move out of the team for Cole Palmer, and that’s a move a lot of fans would support. His manager made a defence of him in the press conference yesterday, saying he was sure he would start scoring soon.

Estevao Willian was taken off at half time on Wednesday, and Enzo Maresca talked about that decision in his press conference today.