Chelsea will continue their preparations for the 2024-25 campaign with a pre-season friendly against Scottish champions Celtic in Indiana on Saturday.
The Blues opened their USA Tour with a 2-2 draw against Wrexham on Wednesday evening, while Celtic have already played four times this summer, including a 4-3 success over Manchester City earlier this week.
Match preview
© Reuters
Chelsea opened their preparations for the new season with a clash against Wrexham on Wednesday evening, and the Blues had to come from behind to share the spoils with the Welsh outfit.
Indeed, Luke Bolton and Jack Marriott were on the scoresheet for Wrexham after Christopher Nkunku had sent Chelsea ahead in the 35th minute, but Lesley Ugochukwu netted in the 82nd minute to make it 2-2, with Enzo Maresca officially getting his reign as Blues boss underway.
The Blues will play four more matches in the United States, tackling Celtic, Club America, Man City and Real Madrid, before returning to England to face Inter Milan in their final friendly of the summer on August 11.
The capital giants will then get their 2024-25 Premier League campaign underway at home to Man City on August 18, while the month will end with a trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Chelsea have made six signings so far this summer, with the biggest of those proving to be Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from Leicester City, while Ian Maatsen has been their major outgoing at this stage of the window.
© Reuters
Celtic are much further ahead in terms of their preparations for the new campaign, with Brendan Rodgers's side set to open their new Scottish Premiership season against Kilmarnock on August 4.
The Scottish champions began their pre-season with a 1-1 draw against Ayr United on July 5, but they have won their last three games, beating Queen's Park 6-4 before heading to the United States.
Celtic recorded a 4-0 win over DC United in the first match of their US Tour, before beating English champions Man City 4-3 last time out, and it was a Citizens side that included the likes of Rico Lewis, Kalvin Phillips, Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland.
The Hoops will again enter the new Scottish Premiership campaign as the favourites for the title, and another positive result in this contest would leave them full of confidence.
Celtic have had a quiet transfer window, only making two signings, with the standout arrival proving to be Kasper Schmeichel, with the 37-year-old recently completing a switch to Rodgers's side.
- D
- W
- W
- W
Team News
© Reuters
Tosin Adarabioyo and Marc Guiu both made their debuts against Wrexham, and the pair are expected to be involved once again, while fellow new arrival Dewsbury-Hall will be bidding to overcome the knock that denied him the chance to make his first appearance for the club versus the Welsh team.
Wesley Fofana and Romeo Lavia were both involved against Wrexham, with the pair looking to put their injury problems behind them, and they should again receive minutes here.
Head coach Maresca will once again look to use his full squad, with Raheem Sterling, Malo Gusto and Ben Chilwell potentially now being brought into the XI, but the likes of Marc Cucurella, Cole Palmer, Conor Gallagher, Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez are all absent due to international commitments over the summer.
As for Celtic, head coach Rodgers could select the same side that took to the field for the first whistle against Man City last time out, which is likely to mean another 4-3-3 formation.
Nicolas Kuhn was the star of the show against the English champions, hitting a first-half brace, and he is again expected to operate down the right for the Scottish champions.
The front three should be completed by Kyogo Furuhashi and Daizen Maeda, while there is expected to be another start between the sticks for Schmeichel.
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Sanchez; Adarabioyo, Badiashile, Colwill; Gusto, James, Ugochukwu, Chilwell; Madueke, Nkunku, Sterling
Celtic possible starting lineup:
Schmeichel; Ralston, Welsh, Scales, Taylor; O'Riley, McGregor, Hatate; Kuhn, Furuhashi, Maeda
We say: Chelsea 2-2 Celtic
Celtic have had a positive pre-season, and we are finding it difficult to back them to lose this match. Chelsea would not have drawn back-to-back matches 2-2 on too many occasions throughout their history, but we are predicting that scoreline here, with another entertaining friendly potentially taking place.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
