Chelsea are back on their travels in the Premier League as they head to the Vitality Stadium to face Bournemouth this afternoon.
The Blues are on a wretched run of form in a horrendous season – having only accumulated one point from the last 15 available to compound a miserable return to management for interim coach Frank Lampard.
Conversely, the Cherries have won five of their last seven games to provide a nine-point cushion between themselves and the relegation zone.
Gary O’Neil, who took over from Scott Parker at the beginning of the campaign, has instigated this unbelievable turnaround, and his side look set to retain their top-flight status.
To pile more embarrassment upon Chelsea, a win for the hosts would mean they leapfrog the 2021 Champions League winners into 12th place.
Lampard will be perplexed by his team’s abject display in their 3-1 defeat in midweek against Arsenal and will be expected to name a rotated lineup.
Here’s what we are predicting…
How will Chelsea line up against Bournemouth?
There could be as many as four changes from their last outing at the Emirates.
In goal, Kepa Arrizabalaga is set to continue between the sticks as stories have surfaced that Edouard Mendy is to leave in the summer after rejecting the latest contract offer from the Blues.
Cesar Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva and Ben Chilwell are expected to keep their places, but a change in the back four could see Wesley Fofana make way for Benoit Badiashile.
The former Monaco man has started eight Premier League games and the Blues have only conceded six goals in those outings.
Carney Chukwuemeka could be in line for a rare start too after Chelsea’s midfield was completely overrun in midweek. His athleticism could feature nicely alongside N’Golo Kante and Enzo Fernandez.
Meanwhile, the west London outfit’s frontline could be heavily altered as the last trio barely threatened on Tuesday.
Noni Madueke is expected to be the only surviving attacker after he netted his first for his new club in the London derby.
Lampard called out the majority of his players for their poor performances but reserved special praise for the winger, who was the only bright spark.
He said: “My job is to tell the players what needs to be done and the players have to do it. And if they don’t do it, they won’t start the game. People like Noni [Madueke] today, I thought he was great.
“Because he has been training like that all week, that is why he plays.”
On the other flank, Mykhailo Mudryk will fill in for £70m-rated Raheem Sterling, who was anonymous in north London and was labelled as "embarrassing" for his lack of contribution.
Then, the final change will see Joao Felix deployed as the central striker instead of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Predicted Chelsea XI (4-3-3): Arrizabalaga; Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva, Badiashile, Chilwell; Kante, Fernandez, Chukwuemeka; Madueke, Felix, Mudryk.
