Chelsea will head to Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday 13th September to play a west London derby against Brentford. Kick-off is at 8pm BST.
Chelsea is still unbeaten for this season of the Premier League. They have two wins and one draw. They won against Fulham 2-0 in their previous match.
Brentford had a patchy record. They beat Aston Villa at home. Away from home, they were defeated by Sunderland and Nottingham Forest.
Team News & Injuries: Chelsea and Brentford
The following are the reported injuries and squad updates that are likely to be in place for both teams:
Chelsea
Cole Palmer is a major doubt. He is injured in his groin. He did not play against Fulham due to that.
Liam Delap is unavailable due to a hamstring issue and will be away for several weeks.
Levi Colwill has an injury for the long term (tear ACL) and therefore won’t feature this season.
Romeo Lavia and Benoit Badiashile are injured but on the verge of return.
Dario Essugo picked up a thigh injury while away with Portugal U-21s and underwent an operation. He is out.
Brentford
Yoane Wissa has left the club and joined Newcastle. That depletes their attacking resources.
Vitaly Janelt and Gustavo Nunes are injured. They lack depth in midfield.
Others can come back from injury. Yunus Emre Konak is one name who has been floated as a possible returnee.
Players to Watch:
Joao Pedro: Demonstrating incisive finishing already could make an impact if chances are limited.
Reece James: Offers width and crosses, but also vital defensively.
Enzo Fernandez: Will set the tempo for Chelsea and attempt to manage the midfield.
Brentford
Dango Ouattara: 23-year-old winger with proven goal-scoring boots. Recently signed from AFC Bournemouth.
Igor Thiago: Brazilian striker who is primarily settled and depended on to find the net.
Mikel Damsgaard: Veteran drive in the middle of the pitch. Branded for playmaking and ball collection.
Strategies and Tactics:
Chelsea ought to dominate possession. They tend to build in the midfield, maintain possession, and test.
Brentford will try and be tight and employ counter-attacks. Lacking some of their normal attacking talent, they’ll need to be quick in transition.
If Chelsea can have Palmer back, he might be the one. But if not, someone else would have to do. Joao Pedro is on fire and would head the attacking line.
Author’s Insight:
With Chelsea’s performance and bench depth, they are favorites to take the win. But at home against Brentford may pose them problems. A scoreline of Chelsea 2-1 Brentford seems likely.
