Chelsea will be without five injured players when they travel to the Vitality Stadium to face Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday.
Reece James (hamstring), Mason Mount (pelvic) and Armando Broja (knee) are all ruled out for the rest of the season, while Marc Cucurella and Kalidou Koulibaly are both sidelined with hamstring issues but are likely to return before the season draws to a close.
The absence of both James and Cucurella is set to see Cesar Azpilicueta and Ben Chilwell continue at full-back, while Wesley Fofana and Thiago Silva could start together at centre-back for the fourth successive game, with Frank Lampard to consider selecting another central defender in either Benoit Badiashile or Trevoh Chalobah should he revert to a back three.
Enzo Fernandez has started every game for Chelsea since his club-record arrival in January and he is expected to continue in centre-midfield alongside N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic, although Conor Gallagher and Ruben Loftus-Cheek will be pushing for a recall.
Noni Madueke started and scored his first Chelsea goal in the 3-1 defeat at Arsenal on Tuesday, and the winger could retain his place on the right flank, while Raheem Sterling's position on the left may come under threat from Mykhaylo Mudryk.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was handed just his fifth Premier League start of the season against former club Arsenal but was hauled off at half time after touching the ball just nine times, including four from the kickoff, and the 33-year-old is likely to be replaced in attack by either Joao Felix or Kai Havertz – the latter of whom scored a brace in a 2-0 win over Bournemouth earlier this season.
Chelsea possible starting lineup: Kepa; Azpilicueta, W. Fofana, Silva, Chilwell; Kante, Fernandez, Kovacic; Madueke, Havertz, Mudryk
Oliver Thomas
