It feels like it has been ages since manager Enzo Maresca last sent his Chelsea first team charges out to battle in the Premier League, but following last Tuesday’s disappointing draw with AFC Bournemouth, the aim on Monday evening will simply be to get back to winning ways as we welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers to Stamford Bridge.
It is not unfair to say that the month of January has not been a great one for our 44 year old Italian gaffer as outside of Chelsea’s 5-0 victory over Morecambe in the FA Cup, we have only picked up two points so far in our chase for a top four spot and Wolverhampton Wanderers naturally gives us the best chance possible of doing that when you consider we end the month with a trip to the Etihad Stadium to face Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side.
True Blue fans are naturally hoping that Chelsea talent Cole Palmer will be passed fit for the clash as the 22 year old missed training on Friday following the knock he took in the prior game and he remains a doubt for our Monday night action, as does Levi Colwill, Romeo Lavia and Enzo Fernandez who all missed the Friday session as well.
From an injury front, outside of those four fresh doubts it is pretty much a case of how we were when it comes to Maresca’s options for the starting XI, although Trevoh Chalobah does now come back into his plans following his earlier loan recall from Crystal Palace.
25 year old Chalobah’s potential involvement in the match day squad is the unknown here. With him being brought back from Selhurst Park to provide greater cover in the heart of defence following the hamstring injuries sustained by Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile, his versatility as a holding midfielder could also have some benefits for the gaffer given the number of injuries we currently have in the camp.
It was also reported that he had been given some kind of playing guarantees ahead of his return by sporting director Paul Winstanley, and we are yet to see what those promises may have been and how quickly they come into play.
As for Wolves, they do have issues of their own but new manager Vitor Pereira has had a bright start at the Molineux with three wins and a draw from his opening six matches. As we look to get back to winning ways we will also be looking to significantly improve our home form as despite flying high in the top flight table, we have only picked up 43% of our points (league lowest) on home soil.
Rectifying that statistic would go a long towards ensuring that we do return to the Champions League next season, so three points to open up the new week on Monday is an absolute must and we can be very confident of doing just that, particularly if Palmer returns to the pitch.
