- Chelsea visit West Ham in London derby on Saturday
- Christopher Nkunku and Jadon Sancho hopeful of starts after starring against Bournemouth
- Injury issues at right-back remain with Reece James and Malo Gusto out
Chelsea will aim to keep pace with the early chasing pack in the Premier League when they visit West Ham United in Saturday's Premier League opener.
Fresh after not playing a game in midweek, the Blues are looking to build on last weekend's dramatic win over Bournemouth, where Christopher Nkunku grabbed the points with a strike in the 86th minute.
The Frenchman is one of a number of stars pushing for a start in Enzo Maresca's starting XI, though the Italian is likely to select a team similar to those he's deployed during the early stages of the season.
Here's the Chelsea lineup that could feature at West Ham on Saturday.
Chelsea predicted lineup vs West Ham (4-2-3-1)
GK: Robert Sanchez - While sometimes a maligned figure at Stamford Bridge, Sanchez was pivotal in the success at Bournemouth. The Spaniard made seven saves on the south coast, keeping out Evanilson's penalty in the process.
RB: Axel Disasi - Reece James and Malo Gusto aren't expected to be available to Maresca this weekend, so Disasi will continue in the right-back spot.
CB: Wesley Fofana - Was the cuplrit in handing Bournemouth a spot-kick last week, appearing very grateful to have his blushes spared by Sanchez.
CB: Levi Colwill - Has a rash streak he'll need to curb over the next few years, but Colwill's performances this season have shown plenty of other pleasing developments.
LB: Marc Cucurella - The Euro 2024 winner has been the beneficiary of Ben Chilwell's squad exclusion in west London, having started all four league matches.
CM: Moises Caicedo - The industrious midfielder wasn't one of the nine Chelsea players booked at the Vitality Stadium last Saturday, winning all four of his attempted tackles.
CM: Enzo Fernandez - Chelsea's vice-captain could do with making some positive headlines, having recently been banned from driving for six months after his infamous summer.
RW: Noni Madueke - Continued his bright start to the season against the Cherries, though he couldn't grab a goal contribution. He did, however, win six of his eight ground duels.
AM: Cole Palmer - The 22-year-old remains Chelsea's de facto number 10, though Nkunku's goal last time out might have raised an eyebrow of his. However, it'll take a lot more to usurp Palmer, who has a goal and four assists in four league games.
LW: Jadon Sancho - Having made the surprise loan switch from Manchester United late in the summer transfer window, Sancho made an instant impact on his club debut by setting up his new team's winner. As a result, he could be thrown into the starting lineup at Pedro Neto's expense.
ST: Nicolas Jackson - The Senegal striker has hit the back of the net twice so far this term and recently secured his long-term future at Stamford Bridge by signing a deal until 2033. It's now his job to ensure Chelsea aren't tempted to replace him with a new shiny striker in future transfer windows.
