Champions League
Dec 8, 2021 5.45pm
3
3
HT : 2 1
FT
  • Claudinho 38' goal
  • Sardar Azmoun 41' goal
  • Dejan Lovren 60' yellowcard
  • Magomed Ozdoyev 90'+4' goal
  • goal Timo Werner 2'
  • yellowcard Callum Hudson-Odoi 37'
  • goal Romelu Lukaku 62'
  • goal Timo Werner 85'

Team News: Kepa Arrizabalaga, Malang Sarr, Ross Barkley start for Chelsea in Zenit

Arrizabalaga, Sarr, Barkley start for Chelsea

Kepa Arrizabalaga and Malang Sarr have been named in the Chelsea starting lineup for Wednesday's Champions League fixture at Zenit St Petersburg.

Head coach Thomas Tuchel acknowledged at Tuesday's press conference that he would rotate his team from the one which started the defeat at West Ham United.

Tuchel has made as many as eight changes, bringing in Arrizabalaga, Sarr, Ross Barkley and Saul Niguez for their first Champions League starts of the season.

As expected, Sarr lines up on the left-hand side of a back three, but Tuchel has tinkered going forward with James, usually a right wing-back, expected to line up alongside Barkley in midfield.

That will result in Saul being deployed at left wing-back, rather than in central midfield, as Tuchel experiments in the absence of Ben Chilwell.

Romelu Lukaku also makes his first start since returning from an ankle injury, the Belgian playing alongside Mason Mount and Timo Werner in the final third.

Zenit St Petersburg: Kerzhakov; Karavaev, Lovren, Rakitskiy, Douglas Santos, Malcom, Wendel, Kuzyaev, Barrios, Claudinho, Azmoun Subs: Odoevski, Byazrov, Krugovoi, Mostovoy, Sutormin, Erokhin, Dzyuba, Ozdoev, Kravtsov, Kuznetsov, Khotulev

Chelsea: Arrizabalaga; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Sarr; Hudson-Odoi, James, Barkley, Saul; Mount, Lukaku, Werner Subs: Bettenelli, Mendy, Rudiger, Alonso, Silva, Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Ziyech, Havertz

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