MX23RW : Thursday, April 25 14:44:24| >> :60:2717:2717:
[monks data]
Attendance: 41,562
Chelsea logo
Premier League
Dec 16, 2017 at 3pm UK
 
Southampton logo

1-0

Alonso (45')
FT(HT: 1-0)

Team News: Alvaro Morata on Chelsea bench, Virgil van Dijk dropped by Southampton

Team News: Morata absent, Van Dijk dropped
© Offside
Alvaro Morata is kept out of Chelsea's first XI for the second Premier League game in a row, while Southampton drop Virgil van Dijk.

Alvaro Morata has been kept out of Chelsea's first XI for the second Premier League game in a row, while Southampton manager Mauricio Pellegrino has dropped Virgil van Dijk.

A mixture of a back problem and fatigue kept the forward out of the Blues' recent 3-1 victory over Huddersfield Town, and it appears that Antonio Conte does not deem the Spaniard fit enough to start.

The manager has made just the one change to his side, and that has come in defence, with Antonio Rudiger being replaced with Gary Cahill, who starts alongside Cesar Azpilicueta and Andreas Christensen in a back three.

The visitors to Stamford Bridge have a new-look side from the one that were hit 4-1 by Leicester City as Southampton boss Pellegrino makes six alterations to the first XI.

Van Dijk has been relegated to the bench following his poor performance, while Dusan Tadic, Steven Davis, Charlie Austin, Mario Lemina and Sofiane Boufal all join him.

Wesley Hoedt, James Ward-Prowse, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Jack Stephens and Manolo Gabbiadini all come into the fray for this afternoon's encounter.

Chelsea: Courtois; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Cahill; Moses, Kante, Bakayoko, Alonso; Willian, Hazard, Pedro
Subs: Caballero, Rudiger, Zappacosta, Drinkwater, Fabregas, Batshuayi, Morata

Southampton: Forster; Soares, Hoedt, Yoshida; Stephens, Bertrand, Romeu, Ward-Prowse; Hojbjerg, Redmond, Gabbiadini
Subs: McCarthy, Davis, Lemina, Van Dijk, Tadic, Boufal, Austin

Follow Sports Mole's live text commentary of the match here.

ID:314254: cacheID:314254:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:4477:No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Mauricio Pellegrino observes the action during the Premier League game between Southampton and Watford on September 9, 2017
Read Next:
Pellegrino hails Saints trio after win
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal34245582265677
2Liverpool34228475344174
3Manchester CityMan City32227376324473
4Aston Villa34206871502166
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs32186865491660
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd33165125150153
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle331551369541550
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham34139125463-948
9Chelsea32138116157447
10Bournemouth34129134960-1145
11Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton321111105250244
12Wolverhampton WanderersWolves34127154654-843
13Fulham34126165054-442
14Crystal Palace34109154456-1239
15Brentford3498175259-735
16Everton34118153648-1233
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3479184260-1826
18Luton TownLuton3467214775-2825
19Burnley3458213769-3223
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd3437243392-5916


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!