Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Sunderland: Estevao Forces Alonso’s Hand

Chelsea hope to keep the good times rolling when they visit bottom-of-the-table Sunderland on Sunday.

The Blues bounced back from successive defeats to beat Manchester United 2–0 last weekend, with Morgan Rogers’s stunning solo strike and Cole Palmer’s penalty coming either side of Lisandro Martínez’s brainless red card. The result restored Xabi Alonso’s men to the top four, but only victory against Sunderland can guarantee they stay there going into the upcoming international break.

Unlike nine other Premier League sides, including the Black Cats, Chelsea have enjoyed a free midweek due to their absence from European competition. They should be fresh and raring to go as a result, although Alonso does have injury issues to overcome on Wearside.

Here’s how the Spaniard could set Chelsea up.

GK: Emiliano Martínez—After missing the last three matches with a broken jaw, Martínez has returned to the fold earlier than expected. Alonso now has a tough decision to make on whether to start the Argentine or retain young Mike Penders.

RB: Josh Acheampong—With Reece James injured, Acheampong has generally been favored to Malo Gusto, either as an orthodox right back or a central defender in a back three.

CB: Wesley Fofana—Chelsea might have kept a rare clean sheet last weekend, but Fofana seriously struggled at stages of their victory over United. The Frenchman twice gifted Amad Diallo one-on-one situations, and was lucky not to be punished.

CB: Levi Colwill—Maxence Lacroix’s injury means Colwill must shoulder the extra burden that comes with partnering Fofana at center back. The Cobham graduate will be tested by the imposing presence of Brian Brobbey.

LB: Marco Palestra—The Italian made his first start for Chelsea against the Red Devils, and there were certainly difficult moments for him despite the scoreline. Improvements are required against Sunderland, especially with Jorrel Hato injured.

CM: Roméo Lavia—Lavia was exceptional against United, grabbing an assist and registering an extraordinary 23 defensive contributions—over double the number of any other player.

Pick Your Chelsea XI!

CM: Moisés Caicedo—There’s some uncertainty over Caicedo’s availability, with the midfielder requiring a late fitness test for some “discomfort” which forced him to miss training. Jordan Henderson is on standby if he’s absent.

RW: Estêvão—Alonso finally caved and unleashed Estêvão against United, and he was thoroughly rewarded. The Brazilian wreaked havoc with his searing speed and tricky feet, even scoring two narrowly offside goals.

AM: Cole Palmer—Palmer scored in this exact fixture last season, despite Chelsea losing 2–1 to Sunderland for the second time on the spin. The attacking midfielder journeys north with a point to prove after being omitted from the latest England roster.

LW: Morgan Rogers—An exquisite run and cheeky finish opened the scoring against United, taking Rogers’s tally to 10 goal involvements in just 12 matches for Chelsea. An incredible start to life in London.

ST: Pedro Neto—João Pedro’s continued absence is a major issue for Chelsea, and it appears likely that Neto will be tasked with filling his shoes this weekend. The winger offers a unique threat up front, and certainly greater mobility than 35-year-old Danny Welbeck.