This is the duel between two struggling teams; Chelsea won eight points from that many games and Aston Villa is at 18th position with only one win and four points. Jose Mourinho clearly needs to make some changes in his first eleven, and a few regular starters could find their place on the bench for this clash.
Goalkeeper: Asmir Begovic
The Bosnian is a clear No. 1 goalkeeper in Courtois’ absence. Chelsea signed the former AC Milan GK Marco Amelia, but it’s unrealistic to expect him at the goal.
Right Back: Cesar Azpilicueta
Ivanovic suffered an injury while playing for Serbia and he will miss the next three weeks. Instead of him, Azpilicueta could be shifted to the right back position.
Left Back: Abdul Baba
Baba can be in the mix for his first starting berth as left back. He should take the advantage of sidelined Ivanovic.
Central Backs: Gary Cahill and Kurt Zouma
Gary Cahill is an obvious choice for the central back position, and his partner should be Kurt Zouma due to the bad form of the captain John Terry.
Central Midfielders: Cesc Fabregas and Ruben Loftus-Cheek
It will be a tough decision for Mourinho whether to keep Nemanja Matic in midfield along with Fabregas or it’s maybe a time for young Loftus-Cheek to show his qualities. Matic and Ramires are struggling this season, so this can be a chance for the U-21 England international.
Left Winger: Eden Hazard
Hazard failed to find the net in the first eight games, but he will probably start this game.
Right Winger: Willian
The Brazilian is a favorite for a right wing role rather than out-of-form Pedro.
Attacking Midfielder: Oscar
Oscar can fill the AMC position. He played well recently for Brazil and could be in starting XI.
Striker: Diego Costa
Falcao proved to be a flop thus far. Nothing is going on for the Colombian, so Diego Costa is in line to lead the attack.
Tim Sherwood is a favorite to be the next sacked manager, so he needs to improve his team’s form immediately to avoid the search for the new job.
Goalkeeper: Brad Guzan
Guzan will get a nod for the goal. He is the best keeper in the team.
Right Back and Left Back: Alan Hutton and Jordan Amavi
Amavi and Hutton should be on the left and right back, respectively.
Central Backs: Micah Richards and Joleon Lescott
They are the most experienced options at the back, so they are probably to start the game.
Central Midfielders: Jordan Veretout, Ashley Westwood, and Carlos Sanchez
The midfield is a bit tricky because Sherwood tried a few systems already, but nothing is working. Veretout, Westwood, and Gueye started the last game against Stoke; however Sanchez could replace one of them.
Left Winger and Right Winger: Jack Grealish and Scott Sinclair
Agbonlahor is doubtful and in case he cannot feature, Grealish or Jordan Ayew should be on the left and Scott Sinclair on the right wing.
Striker: Rudy Gestede
Gestede is one of the few players that deserves his starting role; he scored three goals out of eight in total for Villa, and the Benin international will be the main threat against the Blues.
Chelsea: Begovic – Baba – Cahill – Zouma – Azpilicueta – Fabregas – Loftus-Cheek – Hazard – Oscar – Willian – Diego Costa
Aston Villa: Guzan – Amavi – Lescott – Richards – Hutton – Veretout – Westwood – Sanchez – Grealish – Sinclair – Gestede
