Chelsea face last term’s Bundesliga runners-up Borussia Dortmund in the last friendly of their pre-season tour in Chicago on Thursday morning.
During the club’s final 14 matches of last season, they recorded one win and had three different head coaches. Mauricio Pochettino is yet to taste defeat during his uncompetitive start to life as Chelsea manager, winning three of his four games to claim the inaugural Premier League Summer Series title.
Here’s how Pochettino may line up against Borussia Dortmund to preserve his unbeaten opening.
GK: Kepa Arrizabalaga – Afforded a rest for the victory over Fulham, Kepa is expected to come back into the lineup against Dortmund.
RB: Reece James – Lauren James’ brother has not made a competitive appearance for Chelsea since April but has used this pre-season to slowly rebuild his fickle fitness.
CB: Thiago Silva – The timeless Brazilian is preparing for his 21st season as a professional footballer. Nine members of Chelsea’s squad are 20 years of age or younger – including his potential centre-back partner.
CB: Levi Colwill – After a stellar loan campaign at Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton last term – where the centre-back orchestrates the team’s complex possession game – Colwill has deservedly earned a lengthy new Chelsea deal.
LB: Ben Chilwell – As a former cross-country runner for Bedfordshire county, Chilwell will have been well prepared for Pochettino’s infamously demanding pre-season fitness drills.
CM: Enzo Fernandez – He may not have made the official sticker book for the World Cup, but the tournament’s Best Young Player will surely be a feature of any Chelsea memorabilia ahead of the coming campaign.
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CM: Andrey Santos – Part of Chelsea’s January splurge before he was loaned back to Vasco da Gama, Santos is vying for a starting berth at Stamford Bridge in 2023/24.
AM: Carney Chukwuemeka – The former Aston Villa starlet was afforded fewer Premier League minutes than Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang last season.
RW: Raheem Sterling – Sterling has admitted that he was a “really naughty” kid at school. It got to the point where a young Raheem had to be moved to a specialised class. “They put your man in a little classroom with six kids and three teachers!” he recalled.
ST: Nicolas Jackson – Since arriving from Villarreal, Jackson has either scored or assisted five goals during Chelsea’s pre-season friendlies.
LW: Christopher Nkunku – The only two competitive assists Nkunku ever provided for PSG created goals for Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.
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