Chelsea are one of many teams in the Premier League who are dealing with a serious injury crisis at the moment.
Luckily for them, their opponents on Sunday are in the same boat. Brighton have an incredible number of player out injured and a couple more suspended too. Many of the players that you would expect to be on the pitch for a game like this one are not going to be there, which makes it a very hard one to call.
Mauricio Pochettino may find himself fielding a back four made entirely of central defenders thanks to the injuries and suspensions to his full-backs, while most of his depth has been wiped out in recent weeks.
Here is the starting XI Pochettino could turn to on Sunday when Chelsea host Brighton.
GK: Robert Sanchez – He has been making some good stops recently and will want to be at his best when he faces his former team.
RB: Axel Disasi – The Frenchman has fallen by the wayside slightly after a decent start to life at Chelsea. Could be deployed at right-back here as Reece James is suspended and Malo Gusto is facing a race to be fit.
CB: Thiago Silva – Had a bit of a shocker against Newcastle but his experience will still be crucial throughout the season, and he has been impressive on the whole this term.
CB: Benoit Badiashile – Needs more minutes to get back to full fitness following a long-term injury.
LB: Levi Colwill – With Marc Cucurella suspended, Colwill will likely be pushed to the left-back slot, creating a back four of centre-backs.
CM: Moises Caicedo – A little jaded on his return from international duty and so did not start against Newcastle. Pochettino will be pleased to have the Ecuadorian at full fitness again here.
CM: Enzo Fernandez – Certainly needs to start adding more goals (or anything) to his game soon, but Fernandez is on the right track at Chelsea despite having such a big fee hanging over his head.
RW: Cole Palmer – Probably Chelsea’s best player this season, they will need another big display from Palmer if they are to beat this determined Brighton side.
AM: Conor Gallagher – Another player that fans may want to see a bit more from as the season wears on, Gallagher is getting plenty of chances to impress.
LW: Raheem Sterling – His free-kick was wonderful against Newcastle and he is finding the net more often again.
ST: Nicolas Jackson – The Newcastle game was not what Jackson needed after his goals against Tottenham and Man City. Should be more comfortable back on home soil.
