Crystal Palace vs Chelsea: Confirmed team news, predicted lineup and injuries
Chelsea will aim to bring an end to their frustrating three-match winless streak in the Premier League as they face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park today. The Blues, once in fine form, are now desperate to reclaim their momentum after a series of disappointing results.
Following an impressive run of eight consecutive victories earlier in the season, Enzo Maresca’s squad has seen their slim title aspirations dwindle due to a dip in performance during the demanding Christmas period.
Their recent outings have been far from inspiring: a goalless draw with Everton, a last-gasp defeat to local rivals Fulham, and a surprising loss to Ipswich Town earlier this week.
Adding to their challenge, Chelsea will confront a revitalized Crystal Palace side that has found its stride after a sluggish start to the season. The Eagles have been in formidable form, suffering only one defeat in their last eight league matches and climbing steadily in the table.
This sets the stage for a crucial clash as both teams look to solidify their standing and build momentum heading into the second half of the campaign.
Having rung the changes for their trip to Portman Road, Maresca is likely to return to his first-choice starting lineup for today’s fixture.
Attackers such as Christopher Nkunku and Joao Felix were given a rare chance to impress from the start but could now make way as Nicolas Jackson and Jadon Sancho return to the fold.
In midfield, Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo are expected to continue, with Keirnan Dewsbury-Hall and Romeo Lavia still recovering from their respective injuries.
Nicolas Jackson could be set to return to Chelsea’s starting lineup (Picture: Getty)
Dewsbury-Hall will miss today’s encounter but Lavia could play a part from the bench after Maresca confirmed on Friday that the Belgian had begun training with the first team again.
Defensively, Malo Gusto could come back into the side for Axel Disasi at right-back but there was more bad news at centre-back regarding the injuries to Benoit Badiashille and Wesley Fofana.
Benoît Badiashile is expected to make his return next month, but Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has delivered a concerning update regarding Wesley Fofana. The defender may be sidelined for the remainder of the season due to a persistent hamstring injury sustained in December.
“Unfortunately, he could be out for the season. We don’t know for certain, but it’s possible he’ll miss a significant part of the campaign,” Maresca revealed during his press conference on Friday.
He went on to explain that initial assessments of the injury underestimated its severity. “At first, the information we received was more optimistic, but after further tests, we discovered it was worse than we originally thought. It’s a hamstring issue, and unfortunately, we’re going to be without him for quite some time.”
Fofana’s extended absence is a significant blow to Chelsea’s defensive options as they navigate a demanding stretch of fixtures.
Filip Jorgensen started just his second league game in goal for Chelsea against Ipswich, but first-choice Robert Sanchez may well return in net for today’s fixture.
Perhaps the only positive news from Chelsea’s loss to Ipswich was the return of Reece James to the matchday squad for the first time since mid-November.
The club captain did not come off the bench as he continues his rehabilitation from his latest hamstring injury and Maresca was optimistic that he could get some minutes later on today.
‘In the last game, he was with us in the squad but the plan was not to give him minutes,’ he said. ‘Tomorrow we can give him minutes. Hopefully he can get minutes very soon.’
