Chelsea vs Wolves predicted XIs: Confirmed team news and probable lineups
Chelsea will be looking for their fifth Premier League home success on the bounce against Wolves on Sunday.
The Blues will no doubt be glad to get back to Stamford Bridge after suffering a miserable 4-1 defeat at Liverpool in midweek.
Wolves also have to get over their own midweek disappointment as they were beaten by a late Manchester United goal in a 4-3 thriller on Thursday, but they will have high hopes of replicating the 2-1 victory they claimed over the Blues on Christmas Eve.
Raheem Sterling to use favourite opponent to return to form?
Raheem Sterling hasn’t scored a Premier League goal since November 25, with seven games going by since then. That stat in itself is probably a good reflection of Chelsea’s wider fortunes over the last 12 months or so, but on Sunday, they have a chance to right some wrongs.
The Blues are currently on a run of four straight league wins at Stamford Bridge, equalling the total from their previous 22 home matches. And as for Sterling himself, he just loves playing Wolves.
The England international has been involved in seven goals in his last seven Premier League appearances against Wolves (4 goals, 3 assists), assisting Christopher Nkunku’s goal in the reverse fixture this season. That comes after notching just one assist in his previous four outings against the Midlands side.
Sterling has scored in cup competitions during his recent league drought and he’s still providing assists on a fairly regular basis, but if Chelsea are to start worrying the sides on the fringes of the European race, they’ll need their forward in top shape. This could be a nicely timed fixture for Sterling.
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Chelsea v Wolves team news
Striker Nicolas Jackson could come back into Chelsea contention following Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations elimination but they still have a lengthy injury list to contend with.
Levi Colwill, Lesley Ugochukwu, Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella, Reece James, Romeo Lavia, Robert Sanchez and Trevoh Chalobah all remain on the sidelines, limiting boss Mauricio Pochettino’s options.
Wolves will be without Boubacar Traore and Hee-chan Hwang, who remain on international duty, but Rayan Ait-Nouri is expected to get the nod on the left side of midfield.
Chelsea v Wolves predicted line-ups
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Petrovic; Disasi, Silva, Badiashile, Chilwell; Caicedo, Fernandez; Sterling, Palmer, Mudryk; Nkunku.
Wolves (3-4-3): Sa; Kilman, Dawson, Toti; Semedo, Doyle, Lemina, Ait-Nouri; Bellegarde, Cunha, Neto.