Chelsea team news vs Burnley and predicted lineup | OneFootball

Chelsea return from the international break with a Premier League trip to Turf Moor to face Burnley on Saturday at 12:30pm.

The Blues went into the break with four wins from their past five league games, including each of their past two. It leaves Chelsea third in the table after 11 games.

Chelsea predicted lineup vs Burnley

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Gusto, Chalobah, Fofana, Cucurella; Fernandez, James; Estevao, Joao Pedro, Gittens; Delap.

The trip to Turf Moor precedes a tough week for Enzo Maresca’s side. The Blues face Barcelona and then Arsenal in their next two games across all competitions, going into a busy December.

But Chelsea will be wary of Burnley. The Blues lost their only other game against a newly-promoted side this season, beaten at home by Sunderland.

Burnley, meanwhile, have lost their last two league games and sit outside the relegation zone on goal difference.

Chelsea team news vs Burnley

The international break came at a decent time for Chelsea in terms of injuries. Enzo Fernandez has been dealing with a knee problem and decided against travelling with Argentina to allow himself time to recover. The midfielder is expected to be available.

Pedro Neto is also expected to be okay to travel to Turf Moor after missing Portugal’s World Cup qualifiers through a slight injury. It will be a boost for Chelsea, with Cole Palmer still a few weeks away from playing — having recently returned to individual training.

Benoit Badiashile could also be available after injuries, but he’s more of a doubt than Neto and Fernandez. His return would be a huge boost for Chelsea’s threadbare defence, though.

Moises Caicedo may start from the bench against Burnley having played 180 minutes for Ecuador over the international break. There may also be some rotation with the visit of Barcelona in Maresca’s mind.

We could see Estevao start ahead of Neto on the right, with Jamie Gittens over Alejandro Garnacho on the left. But there aren’t many options through the middle, so Liam Delap should lead the line with Joao Pedro behind him.

Estevao should shine at Turf Moor

Maresca has very much been managing Estevao’s minutes this season. The Chelsea fans are eager to see Estevao become one of their regular starters, but the Brazilian has only started four of Chelsea’s 10 league games. And one of those starts saw him last just six minutes before being taken off against Manchester United to accommodate for Robert Sanchez’s red card.

When he has been on the pitch, though. Estevao has shone. The eagerness of Chelsea fans isn’t without cause.

Estevao is one of the best dribblers in the Premier League this season. He has averaged 8.47 attempted take-ons per 90 minutes, the second-most among players with at least 200 minutes. The Brazilian also ranks third for his 3.71 take-ons completed per 90 behind only Jeremy Doku and compatriot Kevin.

Estevao isn’t just a take-on merchant, though. He also averages 0.79 big chances created per 90 in the league, again ranking third among those with at least 200 minutes played. So far that has translated to one assist — alongside one goal — but Estevao is a constant threat. He ranks second for touches in the opposition box per 90 (9.26) as well as 0.89 non-penalty post-shot Expected Goals.

Chelsea’s future is bright with Estevao. But he’s also proven that he can be their present.