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Chelsea logo
Premier League | Gameweek 7
Sep 29, 2018 at 5.30pm UK
 
Liverpool logo

1-1

Hazard (25')
FT(HT: 1-0)
Sturridge (89')

How Chelsea could line up against Liverpool

Ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge, Sports Mole looks at how the Blues could line up.

Three days on from knocking Liverpool out of the EFL Cup, Chelsea can overtake their opponents in the Premier League should they win Saturday's latest clash at Stamford Bridge.

Eden Hazard inspired a much-changed Blues side to a 2-1 win at Anfield in midweek, and now Maurizio Sarri's charges will be looking to grab top spot from the Reds, depending on how Manchester City fare against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Chelsea have three more matches to cram in before the second international break of the season, with this top-of-the-table showdown very much taking priority for Sarri.

Here, Sports Mole looks at how the Italian may set out his side for this weekend's meeting.

Possible CHE XI vs. LIV

Out: Marco van Ginkel (knee)
Doubtful: Andreas Christensen (knock), Antonio Rudiger (groin), Pedro (shoulder), Ruben Loftus-Cheek (shin)

Sarri is left sweating over the fitness of centre-back Rudiger, who has started all six of Chelsea's league games to date but limped off in the goalless draw with West Ham United.

Gary Cahill has profited from the German's absence, being given his first minutes of the season in the stalemate at the London Stadium and then playing a full part in the EFL Cup tie with Liverpool.

A knock sustained by Christensen at Anfield means that Cahill could well be Sarri's only realistic option alongside David Luiz, and there is further bad news as Pedro is still recovering from a shoulder injury picked up away to PAOK.

Sarri does at least have Willian and an in-form Hazard to call upon in his forward line, while Olivier Giroud - who has five goals in his last six Premier League starts against Liverpool - is now preferred to Alvaro Morata through the middle.

Elsewhere, the Italian has favoured a midfield triumvirate of Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic and N'Golo Kante in the league, which should remain the case for the visit of Liverpool.

Kante is no longer indispensable, and it could well be that a fit-again Cesc Fabregas gets the nod against more defence-minded teams in the future, but the Reds are not exactly known for sitting back and the Frenchman's battling qualities will be needed this weekend.

> Click here to see how Liverpool could line up for this fixture

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Ross Barkley in action with Naby Keita during the EFL Cup clash between Chelsea and Liverpool on September 26, 2018
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool108111961325
2Manchester CityMan City1072121111023
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest10541147719
4Chelsea105322012818
5Arsenal105321711618
6Aston Villa105321715218
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs1051422111116
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton104421714316
9Fulham104331413115
10Bournemouth104331312115
11Newcastle UnitedNewcastle104331010015
12Brentford104151920-113
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd10334912-312
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham103251319-611
15Leicester CityLeicester102441418-410
16Everton102351017-79
17Crystal Palace10145813-57
18Ipswich TownIpswich100551021-115
19Southampton10118719-124
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves100371427-133


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