Chelsea will look to boost their chances of a top-eight finish in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, January 21st, when they host Cypriot side Pafos in west London.
New Blues boss Liam Rosenior will be eager to build on the foundations left by his predecessor Enzo Maresca in this elite European competition and it’s at Stamford Bridge where proceedings get underway at 8pm, with this match broadcast live on TNT Sports 3.
Chelsea predicted lineup vs Pafos
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Acheampong, Fofana, Badiashile, Hato; Fernandez, Santos; George, Pedro, Garnacho; Delap.
Chelsea team news vs Pafos
Chelsea managed to earn a 2-0 win at home against Brentford in Rosenior’s first Premier League game in charge of the Blues on Saturday.
However, the win did come at a cost, with centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo forced off the field due to a hamstring issue.
It’s unlikely the defender will be risked on Wednesday, while Rosenior is also set to be without Estevao and Jamie Gittens, who are both struggling with illness.
Malo Gusto is a doubt due to a knock, while Romeo Lavia and Levi Colwill are long-term absentees for the Blues.
Given Pafos have managed just one win in their first six games in the Champions League this season, it’s likely Rosenior will ring the changes to give first-team stars a rest and allow others a chance to impress.
With that in mind, the likes of Josh Acheampong, Jorrel Hato, Andrey Santos and Tyrique George will be likely contenders to start in this one.
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Puzzles for Rosenior to solve in Chelsea squad
Winning his first Premier League game in charge of the Blues against a resilient Brentford side was a positive start for Rosenior in the top flight.
Goals from Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer were enough to hand Chelsea a valuable three points in their bid to keep place with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United in the league standings.
A top-four finish this season would certainly be an early feather in the cap for Rosenior, who was for many people a surprise choice to replace Maresca following the Italian’s shock departure at the start of the year.
With such a busy schedule since making the move from Strasbourg to Chelsea, Rosenior won’t have had much time on the training paddock with his players.
Slight changes have been noticed as the new man in the dugout looks to impose his philosophy on this Chelsea side.
Andrey Santos featured in the middle of the park alongside Moises Caicedo against Brentford, which allowed Argentina international Enzo Fernandez the opportunity to move further up the field in a more attacking role.
That in turn, forced England star Cole Palmer out to the right flank and that’s possibly where Rosenior sees the playmaker starring in the future.
Where to get the best out of Palmer will be one of the key puzzles for Rosenior to solve but in the short-term, three points against Pafos and moving a step closer to automatic qualification for the Champions League knockout stages will be the focus for the new man in the Stamford Bridge dugout.
