To say that Chelsea must jump back from losing 5-2 against West Brom feels like a bit of an understatement.
That defeat was not exactly the best way to prepare for a Champions League quarter-final with Porto, but Thomas Tuchel must find a way to keep the past in the past and rediscover the kind of form that saw Chelsea comfortably beat Atletico Madrid in the final the round.
Let’s take a look at how he should set up his page.
Mendy must be the best | Clive Rose / Getty Images
Edouard Mendy (GK) – The West Brom game was not his best, but Mendy is still a Chelsea starter and does not deserve the place taken from him yet.
Cesar Azpilicueta (CB) – There are times like this that Azpilicueta needs to show why he is Chelsea’s captain. The Blues need his leadership and composure to bounce back in style.
Andreas Christensen (CB) – Thiago Silva looked rusty against West Brom. He was unlucky to be sent off, but Chelsea can not have that kind of uncertainty again, especially considering that Christensen has been excellent.
Antonio Rudiger (CB) – If Rudiger’s conflict with Kepa Arrizabalaga really belongs to the past, he should start here. Kurt Zouma was nowhere near good enough against Baggies.
Gilmour deserves a chance to impress James Williamson – AMA / Getty Images
Reece James (RM) – Seeing James collide with Azpilicueta shows that he cares. He wants a huge reaction here, and Chelsea need that kind of commitment.
Mateo Kovacic (CM) – N’Golo Kante trained on Tuesday but is probably not ready to start, which means that the option to leave both Kovacic and Jorginho the place on the bench they deserve does not exist. Let’s go with the lesser of two evils, Kovacic.
Billy Gilmour (CM) – Jorginho does not deserve to keep his place in the team, and although you can argue that it is a bit risky to turn to Gilmour, most fans would rather take a chance on the shots than give Jorginho one more time.
Ben Chilwell (LM) – Rested for the West Brom game, it’s time to take Chilwell back this week.
Mason Mount (AM) – In his 45-minute como, Mount justified his status as Chelsea’s best player right now. In a game of this size, he is the first name on the team sheet.
Kai Havertz (AM) – Havertz also spent most of the West Brom game on the bench, so he should be the darling to go for this one.
Giroud knows all about scoring on the biggest stage | James Williamson – AMA / Getty Images
Olivier Giroud (ST) – It would be nice to see Tammy Abraham get the chance to prove himself here, but on such a big stage, Giroud and his European goal scorer record should get him off to a good start.
For more from Tom Gott, follow him on Twitter!
