Date: Sunday 18th August, 2024
Time: 4:30 pm
Stadium Stamford Bridge
Referee Anthony Taylor (England)
Goal Scorer:
Team News
Chelsea
Chelsea's only known absentee for Sunday's game is captain Reece James, who is nursing a hamstring injury but is suspended anyway after being sent off in the Blues' penultimate match of last season.
Malo Gusto is therefore expected to start at right-back, while Robert Sanchez is set to get the nod between the sticks ahead of new recruit Filip Jorgensen, with Wesley Fofana and Levi Colwill the most likely central defensive partnership to provide protection for the Spaniard.
Romeo Lavia could be handed his first Premier League start for Chelsea, 12 months after joining the club following an injury-played 2023-24 season - like Fofana - and the ex-Man City academy star could link arms with Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo in centre-midfield; Conor Gallagher is not expected to be involved, though, amid interest from Atletico Madrid.
Cole Palmer, Chelsea's top scorer from last season with 22 league goals, may operate on either flank if Maresca decides to begin with a three-man midfield, while Pedro Neto and Marc Guiu will both be battling to make their competitive debuts in attack, although one of those could be edged out of the first XI by Christopher Nkunku.
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Sanchez; Gusto, W. Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella; Fernandez, Lavia, Caicedo; Neto, Nkunku, Palmer
Manchester City
As for Man City, Oscar Bobb is ruled out for between three and four months with a fractured fibula, while the Citizens will also have to cope without star midfielder Rodri, who was forced off with a hamstring injury in the Euro 2024 final and is yet to take part in Man City training after an extended summer break.
There is also uncertainty over the availability of England trio Phil Foden, Kyle Walker and John Stones, who all missed the Community Shield last weekend and have only spent a few days back in first-team training.
Ex-Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic is the most likely candidate to fill the void left behind by Rodri in the deep-lying midfield role, and the Croatian could be supported in the middle of the pitch by either Matheus Nunes, Bernardo Silva or Kevin De Bruyne.
The absence of Bobb could see new signing Savinho handed his Premier League debut on the right, as Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish battle for a start on the left, with Haaland unsurprisingly leading the line.
Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Ederson; Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Bernardo, Kovacic; Savinho, De Bruyne, Doku; Haaland
Prediction: Chelsea 1-3 Manchester City
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