Fofana replacement named, Jackson dropped, Nkunku starts - Chelsea changes vs Liverpool

Chelsea take on Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday afternoon as the Premier League returns following the second international break of the season. The Blues, who go into the weekend fourth in the table, take on the Reds, who are currently the Premier League leaders after the opening seven matches of the top-flight campaign.

However, Enzo Maresca will be without Wesley Fofana and Marc Cucurella for the visit to Merseyside with both defenders missing after picking up their fifth yellow cards of the season last time out against Nottingham Forest. Both defenders have started every Premier League fixture up until this weekend's so Maresca will be forced to make two unwanted changes against Liverpool.

Tosin Adarabioyo is expected to replace Fofana at the heart of the Chelsea defence and partner Levi Colwill at Anfield. The 27-year-old, signed on a free in the summer after his contract at Fulham expired, has made just one start in the Premier League so far - in the win at West Ham United where Fofana was pushed out to right-back.

Adarabioyo has, however, impressed when called upon, whether in the cameo appearance he made at Bournemouth last month, or in the UEFA Conference League where he has completed every minute in three games. The former Manchester City academy prospect is expected to have a busy 90 minutes or so against an in-form Liverpool front-line in the north west.

Meanwhile, Renato Veiga is set to replace Cucurella at left-back in the Chelsea setup. The 21-year-old is expected to make just his second Premier League start after completing 90 minutes down at Bournemouth over a month ago. Veiga, though, was in great form for the Blues as they kicked off their Conference League league phase campaign with a victory against Gent at Stamford Bridge before the international break.

Those two are forced changes due to the suspensions of Fofana and Cucurella but there could be one more alteration to Maresca's side for the trip to Merseyside. Nicolas Jackson could make way for Christopher Nkunku on Sunday afternoon.

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Nkunku scored his eighth goal of the season for club and country in France's win over Israel last week. And the 26-year-old has managed that in just 13 matches in all competitions - where he has started just six of them.

While Jackson has started the season in good form, there is only so long Maresca can keep ignoring the brilliant Nkunku and persist with the former. Nkunku also showed last season that he has what it takes to score at Anfield - and did so while his team were being thrashed by the Reds.

Maresca would not want to make too many changes to a Chelsea side that have been in great recent form. He is, however, forced into making two and the other one seems like an inevitability. It is more of a matter of when, really, rather than if.

Possible Chelsea XI vs Liverpool: Sanchez; Gusto, Tosin, Colwill, Veiga; Caicedo, Fernandez; Madueke, Palmer, Sancho; Nkunku.