Chelsea begin their 2025 FIFA Club World Cup campaign against Los Angeles FC.
The game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta kicks off at 8 pm (UK time) on Monday and will be shown on Channel 5.
Chelsea predicted lineup vs LAFC
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Gusto, Chalobah, Badiashile, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Madueke; Jackson
The newly crowned winners of the Europa Conference League arrive in the United States in high spirits following their top-five finish in the Premier League, which has secured them a spot in next season’s Champions League. In the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup, Chelsea will compete in Group D alongside LAFC, Brazilian powerhouse Flamengo, and ES Tunis, who have won the African Champions League four times.
Chelsea are strong favourites to advance from Group D. According to Opta’s supercomputer, they have a 76.7% chance of finishing at the top of the group and a 16.8% chance of coming in as runners-up, giving them a total 93.5% likelihood of progressing to the Round of 16. The only team with a higher chance of topping their group is Inter Milan, which has a 79% probability in Group E.
As of now, Opta’s power rankings place Flamengo at 78th in the world, LAFC at 126th, and ES Tunis at 255th. Chelsea’s chances of winning the Club World Cup are assessed at 8.4%, with five teams rated more likely to win: Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, and Real Madrid.
Chelsea team news vs LAFC
Enzo Maresca has made some significant decisions regarding his squad ahead of the tournament, opting to leave out several notable players while including a couple of new signings. New No. 9 Liam Delap may make his debut in Chelsea blue, and midfielder Dario Essugo, who was signed from Sporting, is also part of the squad.
Key absentees include Joao Félix, Raheem Sterling, Djordje Petrovic, Axel Disasi, and Wesley Fofana. Except for Fofana, who has been sidelined due to a hamstring injury sustained before the end of the season, Maresca’s selections were based entirely on player preference. Players who spent the season away from Stamford Bridge on loan, such as Felix, Sterling, and Petrovic, have also been excluded.
Additionally, left-back Ben Chilwell is absent, leaving Marc Cucurella as the only recognised senior left-back in the squad. However, Levi Colwill, along with natural right-backs Reece James, Malo Gusto, and Josh Acheampong, has previously filled in at that position.
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Palmer is not here to take part
Former Chelsea player Joe Cole was in awe of Cole Palmer following the 2025 Conference League final, where Palmer took over the game in the second half after admitting he was “sick of going backwards and sideways.” The talented midfielder has taken on the new No. 10 shirt at the club and will wear it for the first time in the Club World Cup finals.
“It’s a privilege to watch this kid play football,” Cole said enthusiastically. “I’m not just saying Chelsea fans, I’m saying England fans. If Lionel Messi performed something like this on a stage like this, the world stops.”
Cole believes that Palmer’s extraordinary talent warrants building teams around him, both for Chelsea and the England national team. “He’s an absolute genius,” he stated.
While Palmer’s ability to dominate a game is remarkable, one key aspect of his performance was his tendency to drift wider, from which both assists that changed the game originated. Manager Enzo Maresca has predominantly utilised a 4-2-3-1 system, positioning Palmer as the focal point in the No. 10 role. However, this season, Palmer has faced challenges when opponents deploy multiple players to neutralise him. It raises the question: could Maresca revert to the 4-3-3 system he occasionally used at Leicester, shifting Palmer out wide? Only time will tell, but there’s no doubt that Palmer is not only Chelsea’s talisman but also their most valuable player.
Since making his Blues debut in 2023, he’s been involved in 66 goals across all competitions (40 goals and 26 assists), surpassing all other Premier League players except Mohamed Salah (who has 58 goals and 34 assists) and Erling Haaland (who has 66 goals and 10 assists).