Five Chelsea changes on the horizon as Enzo Maresca ignores John Terry advice

Enzo Maresca could make at least five changes to the side that drew to Bournemouth when Chelsea take on Atalanta in the UEFA Champions League

Chelsea are expected to make wholesale changes to the starting line-up again when they face Atalanta. The Blues will lock horns with the Italian outfit at the New Balance Arena on Tuesday night as they look to climb the UEFA Champions League table.

Enzo Maresca will be determined to return to winning ways after a couple of disappointing results in the Premier League. Chelsea were defeated by Leeds United at Elland Road on Wednesday evening, before being held to a goalless draw by Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Blues boss raised eyebrows when he made five changes to the side that drew with Arsenal for the match in West Yorkshire. Maresca was heavily scrutinised by John Terry, in particular, for rotating the starting lineup.

In a rant on TikTok, the Chelsea legend, who still works closely with the academy at Cobham, suggested that the Italian sticks with '13 or 14 players' and tells the others to 'deal with it. Speaking to reporters ahead of the clash against Bournemouth, Maresca defended his selection process.

The Chelsea boss acknowledged that the changes are costing his side points, but insisted that the players have physical limitations. The likes of Reece James and Wesley Fofana are following long-term rehabilitation programmes, having previously suffered serious injuries.

Meanwhile, Cole Palmer just returned from a lengthy spell on the sidelines, and Moises Caicedo has been nursing a knee issue, caused by work overload. Maresca pointed out that neither of the four can easily be replaced.

That said, the Blues boss still raised eyebrows when he made six changes to the side that lost to Leeds. Despite pressure from Terry, Maresca is expected to reshuffle the pack – again – when Chelsea face Atalanta.

At least five changes are expected to be made. Liam Delap suffered a shoulder injury during the first half of the draw to Bournemouth at the weekend, and, according to the Blues boss, it's 'quite bad', so he'll be replaced in the lineup.

Palmer, who made his first start since September, could be rested as the Chelsea coaching staff look to manage his workload. With Enzo Fernandez playing back-to-back full games in the space of a few days, he's likely to be replaced, too.

James could be rested as well. Fortunately for Maresca though, Caicedo is available for selection, with his domestic ban not applicable in the Champions League, and Andrey Santos was an unused substitute over the weekend.

The Chelsea boss is expected to also make at least one change to his backline. Maresca spoke of his regret to not play Josh Acheampong against Leeds last week, while Jorrel Hato, who was brought in as cover for Marc Cucurella in the summer, hasn't started a game since the 2-2 draw to Qarabag in the first week of November.