Chelsea boss Graham Potter is expected to select an XI with a mix of youth and experience for Sunday's mid-season friendly with Aston Villa in Abu Dhabi.

The Blues are without a number of their first-team regulars due to the 2022 World Cup, but there is still experience in the squad in the shape of Kepa Arrizabalaga, Trevoh Chalobah, Marc Cucurella, Jorginho, Armando Broja and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Dion Rankine, Bashir Humphreys, Cesare Casadei and Omari Hutchinson are among the youngsters who could start for the capital giants, with others being used off the bench.

Ben Chilwell, Reece James, Wesley Fofana, N'Golo Kante and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are all with the squad in Abu Dhabi.

James has returned to first-team training and could be involved, but Chilwell, Fofana, Kante and Loftus-Cheek are all still unavailable for selection.

Marcus Bettinelli will hope to be given some minutes between the sticks, while the likes of Lewis Hall and Charlie Webster should also be involved in some capacity.

Cesar Azpilicueta, Conor Gallagher, Kai Havertz, Kalidou Koulibaly, Mateo Kovacic, Edouard Mendy, Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic, Thiago Silva, Raheem Sterling, Denis Zakaria and Hakim Ziyech are all absent due to the World Cup.

Chelsea possible starting lineup: Kepa; Rankine, Chalobah, Humphreys, Cucurella; Jorginho, Chukwuemeka, Casadei; Hutchinson, Broja, Aubameyang

Written by
Matt Law