Chelsea XI vs Crystal Palace: Starting lineup, confirmed team news, injury latest for Premier League today
Chelsea have Levi Colwill back in the squad for tonight’s Premier League London derby against Crystal Palace, but Benoit Badiashile is sidelined as Thiago Silva regains his starting berth.
Badiashile was forced off during Wednesday night’s 3-1 FA Cup fourth-round replay win over Aston Villa with groin pain, while Colwill has missed the Blues’ last four matches with a hamstring injury.
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The French defender will now miss a month of action, including the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool, after he underwent scans.
But Colwill’s return and the comeback of Trevoh Chalobah, who is on the bench tonight also, is a welcome double boost for the Blues.
Chelsea have a total of eight first-team players unavailable this evening. One of those is summer signing Romeo Lavia, and Mauricio Pochettino said it is “impossible” the former Southampton man will recover from his serious thigh problem before the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool on February 25.
“Impossible”, Pochettino said of Lavia’s return coming before that. “No, he is still not training with the team. His fitness situation is he’s still not on the pitch.”
Meanwhile, the Argentine could start striker Nicolas Jackson on the left wing again, after the Senegal forward’s goalscoring performance from that position against Villa.
“His starting place was from the left, yes, but football is dynamic,” Pochettino noted. “He always plays better when he is facing the goal rather than back-to-goal. The commitment [from him] is amazing.”
Chelsea XI: Petrovic, Gusto, Disasi, Thiago Silva, Chilwell, Caicedo, Fernandez, Jackson, Gallagher, Madueke, Palmer
Subs: Sterling, Mudryk, Chalobah, Chukwuemeka, Nkunku, Colwill, Casadei, Gilchrist, Bergstrom
Injuries: Fofana, James, Sanchez, Cucurella, Lavia, Ugochukwu, Badiashile, Chalobah
Time and date: 8pm GMT, Monday February 12, 2024
Venue: Selhurst Park
TV channel: Sky Sports Main Event