Team News: N'Golo Kante starts for Chelsea, Virgil van Dijk missing for Liverpool

Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante has been handed an opportunity in the starting lineup for Tuesday's Premier League fixture with Liverpool.

Before last weekend, Kante had not made a competitive appearance since August due to hamstring surgery, but an encouraging display as a substitute versus Aston Villa on Saturday has led to the Frenchman being named in the first XI.

Bruno Saltor has made one further change to his starting lineup, recalling Wesley Fofana after a hamstring injury to use the Frenchman in a back three.

Reece James has been moved to right wing-back, Kante will form a midfield three with Enzo Fernandez and Mateo Kovacic, and Joao Felix will partner Kai Havertz in attack.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mykhaylo Mudryk are the players to drop out of the side, while Edouard Mendy and Raheem Sterling join them on the substitutes' bench after injury.

© Reuters

Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp has made widespread alterations to his Liverpool team with Van Dijk not making the journey to West London due to illness.

Klopp has introduced as many as six fresh faces with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andrew Robertson, Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah all only being named as replacements.

Joe Gomez starts at right-back, Joel Matip comes in at centre-back, Curtis Jones makes just his second league start of the season and Darwin Nunez and Roberto Firmino feature in the final third.

Chelsea: Arrizabalaga; W. Fofana, Koulibaly, Cucurella; James, Fernandez, Kante, Kovacic, Chilwell; Felix, Havertz

Subs: Mendy, Badiashile, Gallagher, Loftus-Cheek, Mount, Madueke, Mudryk, Pulisic, Sterling

Liverpool: Alisson; Gomez, Matip, Konate, Tsimikas; Fabinho, Henderson, Jones; Jota, Nunez, Firmino

Subs: Kelleher, Milner, Salah, Gakpo, Robertson, Carvalho, Arthur, Phillips, Alexander-Arnold