In-form Chelsea will fancy their chances of continuing their recent winning run when they head to Premier League strugglers Southampton in midweek action.
Enzo Maresca’s Blues are on a three-game win streak in all competitions and sit in third place in the league with a near-identical record to second-placed Arsenal after 13 games played.
Russell Martin’s Saints, meanwhile, are rock bottom with five points and just one win in 2024/25. However, their efforts in recent games have exceeded their returns, and they will no doubt enter this tough fixture with absolutely nothing to lose and, perhaps, a bit of good luck overdue.
The Jugo Mobile looks at the latest team news and confirmed lineups for this fixture at St Mary’s Stadium.
Southampton vs. Chelsea lineups, predicted starting 11, team news
Not helping Southampton’s current plight is their injury pile-up. Goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale‘s hand injury won’t be cleared up until closer to Christmas, while Adam Lallana is also projected to miss a few more games with a thigh strain.
Jan Bednarek, Ross Stewart, Paul Onuachu and William Smallbone are all unlikely to be back in time for Chelsea’s visit, and Gavin Bazunu‘s Achilles rupture makes him a long-term absentee.
The hosts will also be missing several plays via ineligibility, too. Lesley Ugochukwu will not be able to face his parent club, while key trio Tyler Dibling, Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Flynn Downes are suspended due to yellow-card accumulation.
Southampton predicted lineup (5-4-1, right to left): Lumley (GK) — Sugawara, Bree, Stephens, Walker-Peters, Manning — Fraser, Aribo, Fernandes, Armstrong — Archer
Injured: Ramsdale (hand), Lallana (thigh), Bednarek (knee), Stewart (calf), Onuachu (knock), Smallbone (thigh), Bazunu (Achilles)Suspended: Dibling, Harwood-Bellis, DownesIneligible: Ugochukwu
Chelsea, meanwhile, have fewer players out and a far deeper squad to choose from.
Three players are set to miss out, all thanks to hamstrings: Reece James, Omari Kellyman and Wesley Fofana face weeks rather than days on the sidelines.
Chelsea predicted lineup (4-2-3-1, right to left): Sanchez (GK) — Caicedo, Colwill, Badiashile, Cucurella — Lavia, Fernandez — Neto, Palmer, Sancho — Jackson
Injured: James, Kellyman, Fofana (all hamstring)Suspended: None
Southampton vs. Chelsea live stream, TV channel
Here’s how to watch this Premier League match across selected areas of the world’s major regions:
