Estevao debut, Colwill worry, new signing starts - Chelsea lineups for Bayer Leverkusen friendly

Chelsea are back. Enzo Maresca's side are in action on Friday night at Stamford Bridge against Bayer Leverkusen in a first outing since winning the Club World Cup almost a month ago.

Over the course of the coming weekend, they will aim to get up to speed rapidly, playing catch-up with their rivals who have been preparing for the new season ever since they left America for a belated holiday four weeks ago. For Maresca, it is a crucial period.

His men have only been training for four full days ahead of hosting Bayer at SW6 and they have plenty of work to do. Compared to most of the rest of Europe, Chelsea have had very little opportunity to do conditioning, let alone tactical grooving.

This is part of the reason Maresca stuck to his guns with a familiarly strong XI in USA. That was Chelsea's best chance to experiment and expose players to summer football.

Now, with Crystal Palace visiting Stamford Bridge next weekend in the Premier League opener, Maresca must balance squad fitness in a condensed schedule ahead of competitive football returning. Starting with Leverkusen, Chelsea will have the chance to test their players again.

They then face Milan. It is the first opportunity for new signings to get a run out in front of their supporters, whilst the newly crowned champions of the world are celebrated.

Here, football.london writers predict what XI Maresca will select.

Tom Coley

Chelsea will need to get their strongest XI out on the field at some point, so Maresca may as well start with it. Against Leverkusen, it wouldn't be a surprise to see two separate teams for the first and second half. Maybe there will be a 60-30 minute split here with changes between the friendlies instead.

Either way, Robert Sanchez is first choice so plays here. The defence in front of him seemed settled but Levi Colwill's injury in training throws that up in the air.

Reece James and at least one of Tosin Adarabioyo or Trevoh Chalobah start, with Marc Cucurella at left-back. Jorrel Hato could play instead of Cucurella but Colwill's injury makes minutes for him centrally more important.

It wouldn't be a shock for him to feature but maybe its best to use the tried and trusted relationships first. The same goes in midfield, where Chelsea's core remains stable.

Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo run the show. Cole Palmer, for now, will surely be in his No.10 spot due to the new wingers available. Estevao Willian is one of the most exciting youngsters to keep an eye out for, so don't be shocked if he was thrown straight in.

Chelsea will manage him carefully but could unleash him for an uncompetitive home debut. Jamie Gittens hasn't yet played for Chelsea either and will fancy his chances, especially without Xavi Simons or Alejandro Garnacho being completed at this stage.

Up front, Joao Pedro has the No.9 shirt for now but Liam Delap and Nicolas Jackson both want to have something to say. Will Maresca starve Stamford Bridge of seeing Pedro in the flesh? Surely not.

Coley's XI: Sanchez; James, Chalobah, Adarabioyo, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo; Estevao, Palmer, Gittens; Pedro.

Kieran Horn

Maresca will be eager to hand out minutes to as many Chelsea stars as possible considering how different their pre-season has been in comparison to other Premier League clubs.

Despite improving in the final weeks of last season, Chelsea attempted to sign Mike Maignan as an upgrade on Sanchez, but failed to do so which will mean he has the gloves, for now. Ahead of him, Maresca will want to go as strong as possible but the injury to Colwill has likely impacted his plans.

A left-footed centre-back is now at the club though in Hato and though he may take some time to adapt, Maresca has spoken fondly of him and therefore he can start and play the first 45 minutes alongside Adarabioyo with Cucurella and James as the full-backs.

Caicedo is joined in central midfield by Andrey Santos, who will need more minutes in this system after barely featuring in the Club World Cup, especially now he is one of the first reserves alongside Romeo Lavia following the departure of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

Two new signings start in the front four with Gittens handed his debut and Delap starting up top while Pedro is in the XI for Sunday's clash against AC Milan. The attacking quartet is completed by Palmer and Pedro Neto with both players in fine form and surely both players two of Maresca's first-choice attackers.

Horn's XI: Sanchez; James, Adarabioyo, Hato, Cucurella; Santos, Caicedo; Neto, Palmer, Gittens; Delap.

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