Predicted Chelsea lineup against Sheffield United: Sterling to return; Petrovic in for Sanchez

Raheem Sterling will return to the Chelsea starting lineup against Sheffield United at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Chelsea will be aiming to bounce back from recent defeats as they prepare to face Sheffield United at Stamford Bridge this Saturday. However, Mauricio Pochettino, the Chelsea manager, has some injury concerns to contend with ahead of the upcoming fixture.

Last weekend, Robert Sanchez, Reece James, and Marc Cucurella sustained injuries during the match against Everton. Unfortunately, the trio will be sidelined for the foreseeable future, joining Wesley Fofana, Ben Chilwell, Trevoh Chalobah, Lesley Ugochukwu, and Carney Chukwuemeka on the injury list.

Nevertheless, Pochettino provided an optimistic update on Christopher Nkunku during his pre-match press conference. He also addressed the recent injuries to the aforementioned players.

Pochettino stated, “I would prefer not to delve into details at this moment. We need to thoroughly assess the situation. Reece James is feeling down because he was looking forward to making his return. We had planned his comeback meticulously, gradually increasing his playing time from 20 minutes to 30, 45, and 60 minutes. We aimed to build his confidence steadily to ensure a full recovery.”

“When you lose a player who has been our first-choice goalkeeper, it is always a blow. We will miss him. However, we have another goalkeeper who has been working hard and is ready to step in if such situations arise.”

Regarding Nkunku, Pochettino added, “He will be involved. This is fantastic news for us because his involvement in tomorrow’s match and being part of the squad will allow him to experience the competition, the Premier League, and reunite with his teammates for the first time since the pre-season.”

While Nkunku will feature in the matchday squad on Saturday, it is unlikely that he will start. Nicolas Jackson is expected to lead the Chelsea attack against Sheffield United, with Raheem Sterling returning on the left flank. Cole Palmer will be deployed on the right wing, with Mykhailo Mudryk being named as a substitute.

In midfield, Conor Gallagher, Moises Caicedo, and Enzo Fernandez are the likely choices. In defense, Axel Disasi will fill in as the right-back in the absence of James. The Frenchman will partner with Benoit Badiashile, Thiago Silva, and Levi Colwill in the backline. Finally, Djordje Petrovic will take over the goalkeeper role from Robert Sanchez.