Chelsea are scheduled to entertain Ajax in Tuesday’s Champions League clash at Stamford Bridge. The Blues are currently at the top of their Champions League group on the head-to-head statistic over Ajax and they have the opportunity to register a victory which would enhance their prospects of making the knockout stage of the elite competition.
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Predicted Lineup:
Kepa Arrizabalaga has been ever-present for the Premier League and Champions League duties this season and there are no doubts regarding his involvement on Tuesday. The Spanish goalkeeper is expected to start.
At the heart of the defence, there should be familiar faces in the form of Fikayo Tomori and Kurt Zouma. Andreas Christensen remains a doubt with a hamstring problem while Antonio Rudiger is definitely sidelined with a fresh pelvic injury.
At right-back, club-captain Cesar Azpilicueta remains an automatic choice under Lampard ahead of young graduate Reece James. On the left side of the backline, Marcos Alonso could replace Emerson, who may not be risked for successive games after his recent return from a thigh injury.
Lampard has recently stated that he would like to rest Jorginho but the decision could be delayed until the weekend, considering he is suspended for the Premier League clash against Crystal Palace after picking up his fifth yellow card of the campaign.
The Italy international has formed an impressive partnership with Mateo Kovacic in the injury absence of N’Golo Kante and the pair should once more line up alongside each other. Kante is likely to make his return from an adductor injury but Lampard may wait for the Palace game to hand the Frenchman with a start.
In the attack, no changes are likely. Christian Pulisic, Mason Mount and Willian should keep their places and that would mean a bench role for Callum Hudson-Odoi, who has looked off-colour with his displays in the past few games after a brilliant comeback from injury.
Tammy Abraham should continue to command the striker’s role ahead of both Michy Batshuayi and Olivier Giroud. The England international recently netted his 10th goal for the Blues and that ended a mini-drought where he went more than 300 minutes without scoring.