Chelsea fans’ preferred lineup against Brighton & Hove Albion: Cobbling together a back line

Chelsea make the trip to Graham Potter’s old employers, Brighton & Hove Albion today and it promises to be an entertaining game. The injury situation hasn’t really changed so the same squad should be available as was midweek against Salzburg.

THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE

Back and forth we go between the 4-2-3-1 (28%) and the 3-4-3 (38%) formations, but the latter is preferred by the WAGNH community this time around. Kepa Arrizabalaga remains the firm first-choice ahead of Édouard Mendy (7%) in goal.

The defense has been hit hard with injuries. Thiago Silva’s fitness is a worry after a hard fall on Tuesday, and general overloading, and he collects fewer than half the votes because of that. That leaves Trevoh Chalobah as the only fit actual center back (and vote-leader), and he’s joined by Marc Cucurella and César Azpilicueta to complete the odd-looking back-three with Kalidou Koulibaly (11%) ruled out.

Ben Chilwell fills the wing-back position unopposed on the left, while on the right, it’s one of Raheem Sterling or Ruben Loftus-Cheek or Christian Pulisic drawing the short straw. With Sterling barely getting over 51% and thus dropped to the bench, it’s the latter who keeps his place from midweek.

In the middle, Mateo Kovačić (21%) has been granted a well-earned rest, and he’s replaced by Loftus-Cheek who partners Jorginho. Carney Chukwuemeka (12%) and Denis Zakaria (12%) watch on from the bench, as usual.

In attack, Mason Mount is a consensus choice, while the rest battle it out. With Pulisic at wing-back, it’s Conor Gallagher and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to edge out the others to complete the forward line. Kai Havertz (47%), Armando Broja (38%) and Hakim Ziyech (5%) provide cover.

3-4-3 (38%)
Arrizabalaga (93%) | Cucurella (62%), Chalobah (98%), Azpilicueta (90%) | Chilwell (88%), Jorginho (83%), Loftus-Cheek (65%), Pulisic (66%) | Mount (88%), Aubameyang (55%), Gallagher (62%)