James and Havertz start, Strongest predicted Chelsea line-up (3-4-2-1) vs Real Madrid
Chelsea travel to the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium for the first leg of their Champions League semi-final tie against Real Madrid on Tuesday night.
The Blues have had an ideal preparation for the game with a slender 1-0 win over West Ham United at the London Stadium.
The victory sees them with a three-point lead over the Hammers in the race for the final Champions League spot in the Premier League.
Ahead of tomorrow’s game, the club don’t have any fresh concerns, barring Mateo Kovacic, who won’t face his former side due to a hamstring injury.
Formation: 3-4-2-1
Predicted Line-up:: Edouard Mendy is the Blues’ regular goalkeeper for the league and European games. He was rested for a couple of matches recently but made his return against the Hammers. He is likely to start in goal ahead of Kepa Arrizabalaga.
There may be a solitary change in the backline. Andreas Christensen could make way for Cesar Azpilicueta. The club captain featured in the right wing-back role in the derby, but is likely to return to the back three alongside Thiago Silva and Antonio Rudiger.
This should pave the way for Reece James to feature at right wing-back. The England international will be aiming to impress with his regular bombarding runs while delivering quality crosses into the box.
On the opposite side, Ben Chilwell appears to have cemented himself as the regular ahead of Marcos Alonso and Emerson. He has been in fine form lately, bagging his fifth league assist at the weekend.
Thomas Tuchel does not have much choice in midfield with Kovacic out of contention. Jorginho is likely to partner N’Golo Kante. Mason Mount has occasionally played in the position, but he has been most effective in the attacking role.
Mount is likely to take up one of the attacking positions behind the main striker. Christian Pulisic had another positive display against the Hammers, but Tuchel’s regular rotation policy could see Kai Havertz picked ahead of him.
Timo Werner appears likely to lead the line ahead of Tammy Abraham and Olivier Giroud. Werner netted the winning goal against the Hammers, but he also squandered an easy scoring chance, not for the first time this season.
There have still been plenty of positives over the German’s displays over the past few weeks as he has contributed key assists. The 25-year-old ended a 12-match goal drought in the recent derby.
