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Mateo Kovacic will replace Kai Havertz, while Reece James will be missing when Chelsea host West Ham United at Stamford Bridge on Monday.
Chelsea will be eager to stop their slide down the Premier League table when they play West Ham United at Stamford Bridge on Monday night. And Frank Lampard has a new injury concern to deal with before his team’s final game.
Reece James will miss out on West Ham due to problems with his problematic right knee. Early reports from last weekend suggested the English international may need surgery, but according to the latest update, an operation is likely a last resort after the results of his scan.
Chelsea vs West Ham United Preview: Probable Lineups, Prediction, Tactics, Team News, Betting Odds & Key Stats
Lampard is now ready to rest James for a few games in the hopes that his knee problem will be fixed. Otherwise, the Chelsea manager has a fully fit squad at his disposal, with Hakim Ziyech and Callum Hudson-Odoi recovering from their respective hamstring injuries.
During their pre-match press conference, Lampard provided an update on the duo, which is highly unlikely to begin to consider the type of injury they have recovered from. The Chelsea manager said: “It is their first day back with the group today training at a decent level so I will have to see how they are doing for the next two or three days to see if they make it to West Ham.”
With Ziyech and Hudson-Odoi as second-half substitutes at best, Christian Pulisic and Timo Werner will continue as Chelsea’s two players, despite the latter’s poor form. Olivier Giroud should also retain his spot as a center forward against West Ham, which means Tammy Abraham will once again be an option from the bench.
In midfield, a lone change could be in sight after a couple of disappointing performances from Kai Havertz. The German international could make way for Mateo Kovacic, who will join N’Golo Kante and Mason Mount in the middle of the park, meaning Jorginho loses again.
Meanwhile, James’ expected absence means César Azpilicueta will make an unusual start to the Premier League on Monday against West Ham. The rest of the bottom line should not change, meaning the Chelsea captain will join Kurt Zouma, Thiago Silva and Ben Chilwell on defense. Finally, you can’t look past Edouard Mendy in goal.
Chelsea predicted XI: Mendy; Azpilicueta, Zouma, Silva, Chilwell; Kovacic, Kante, Mount; Pulisic, Giroud, Werner
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