How should Chelsea line up against Leicester City to stay within sight of top six?

No, you cannot pick Erling Haaland just yet. Fortunately, everyone actually on the team should be fit and available for this one, with N’Golo Kanté having served his suspension over the weekend and Reece James surely over his hamstring injury at this point.

So now, it’s a matter of making the right choices, which is easier said than done. It’s a quick turnaround for Chelsea, from Saturday to Tuesday, which could be a consideration for some of the older legs in the squad. And while Chelsea did win on Saturday, it was far from easy or pretty, which could (should?) result in additional changes in personnel as well.

One thing’s for sure, Chelsea need these three points. It’s not often we have must-win games in the middle of the season, but as we approach the halfway point, we’re suddenly looking up at a minimum three-point gap to the top six.

The leaders are still not too far out of reach — just 8 points — but there are far too many teams between us and Manchester United for that to give any real solace to our predicament. And City do have a game-in-hand, just two points behind.

Mind you, Leicester are also just two points off United’s pace in third. Chelsea have not beaten anyone good yet this season, certainly not in the league.

Choose wisely.

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