Chelsea lineup Vs Eintracht Frankfurt: Here is how the Blues could lineup against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League Semifinals.
Chelsea will take on Eintracht Frankfurt in the second leg of the Europa League Semifinals at Stamford Bridge on Thursday. It will be an intriguing contest after the first leg, as Frankfurt should get on the scoresheet to progress, whilst the Blues will have to ensure that they secure the victory as they prepare to bid for a place in the Europa League finals.
Chelsea were at their best in the weekend as they beat Watford 3-0 in front of their home supporters. The Blues have been blowing hot and cold over the last few months and Maurizio Sarri is desperate to see his side perform consistently at the top level. Goals from Ruben Loftus Cheek, David Luiz, and Gonzalo Higuain sealed the deal for the Blues.
At the other side, Eintracht Frankfurt were heavily beaten 6-1 by Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday. Filip Kostic got on the scoresheet in the first half, but the damage was totally done in the first 45 minutes when they conceded six. It was a horrid display before a crunch fixture against one of the best English teams currently.
In this article, we shall look at Chelsea’s team news, injury news, and predicted lineup.
Team News
Callum Hudson-Odoi and Antonio Rudiger will continue to spend time on the sidelines following long-term injuries. The Blues boss Maurizio Sarri was dealt with a huge blow as the key midfielder N’Golo Kante will be forced to miss this fixture on Thursday.
Speaking in the pre-match press conference, Sarri said “He had a problem with his hamstring. It was not very serious but he needs to rest for a couple of weeks. We can try to recover him for the final if we make it.”
With the front three consisting of Ante Rebic, Luka Jovic, and Sebastian Haller, Frankfurt have the capability to cause havoc to any side in Europe.
“It’s not easy because we have to play a dangerous team, as we saw in the first leg,. They are dynamic, aggressive and dangerous in the offensive phase, especially when they find space in counter-attacks, so it’s a dangerous match.
“In a semi-final, you always have to play against a strong team with strong players so it’s difficult to say we are favourites. They have two good strikers in [Luka] Jovic and [Ante] Rebic so we have to be careful.” said Sarri.
PREDICTED LINEUP
Chelsea: Kepa, Cesar Azipilicueta, David Luiz, Andreas Christensen, Emerson, Jorginho, Ross Barkley, Ruben Loftus Cheek, Pedro, Eden Hazard, Gonzalo Higuain.
