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Liam Rosenior could make numerous changes to his Chelsea side for the trip to the Emirates Stadium this weekend after a disappointing 1-1 draw with Burnley on Saturday
Liam Rosenior will get a third chance at beating Mikel Arteta this weekend as Chelsea travel to the Emirates Stadium.
The Blues come up against Arsenal in the Premier League, with the Gunners beating their London rivals twice in less than two months. Rosenior's second match in charge of Chelsea came against the title-chasing north Londoners, with the Blues losing out 3-2 at Stamford Bridge in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final, a few weeks before the return fixture where Kai Havertz's late strike proved to be the only goal of the night at the Emirates.
Those two defeats are Rosenior's only losses as head coach, with the 41-year-old making an impressive start to life at Stamford Bridge. However, back-to-back draws at home to Leeds United and Burnley have left a sour taste, with Rosenior hoping his side can bounce back on Sunday afternoon.
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Rosenior is likely to make changes from the Chelsea XI that were held against Burnley on Saturday. The Blues are forced into making at least one, with Wesley Fofana set to serve a one-match suspension following his two yellow cards at the weekend.
There are four options for Rosenior to partner Trevoh Chalobah, you would assume, at the heart of Chelsea's defence. Tosin Adarabioyo is the most experienced option, though the 28-year-old's form has been subpar - to say the least - this season.
Mamadou Sarr could be handed his first Premier League start at the Emirates. Since returning to the Blues from his loan spell at Strasbourg, the 20-year-old has made two appearances; a start against Hull City in the FA Cup fourth round and a cameo in the draw with Burnley following Fofana's second half red card.
While Sarr does not have much experience in a Chelsea shirt, he featured almost 50 times for Rosenior during their time together at Strasbourg. An alternative option is Benoit Badiashile, but like Tosin, the French defender has not been at his best this season.
While rated extremely highly by senior officials at the club, it seems unlikely at this point that Josh Acheampong will partner Chalobah. The 19-year-old has been used eight times under Rosenior, but only three of those have come from the start - and only one of those (the 2-2 draw with Leeds earlier this month) was at centre-back.
Malo Gusto was used at left-back in Saturday's draw with Burnley, with the France international deputising for the injured Marc Cucurella. Gusto, though, was not at his best in an unnatural position and could miss out against the Gunners.
Jorrel Hato, who many expected to start the Burnley game, could replace Gusto on the left-hand side of defence. Whoever does start there is likely to have a big task on their hands against Bukayo Saka. Though, it could be former Chelsea winger Noni Madueke on the right-hand side with Saka in the No.10 role - something Arteta has experimented with in recent weeks.
As for the midfield and attack, that could remain largely the same. Romeo Lavia is expected to once again be named in the squad but the 22-year-old Belgian midfielder is being eased back into the fold and it seems highly unlikely he will start in north London.
Pedro Neto could continue on the left-hand side for the visitors. The Portugal international was one of Chelsea's strongest performers against Burnley and his work rate may well make him a more attractive option than Alejandro Garnacho given the challenge Blues face.
Potential Chelsea XI: Sanchez; James, Sarr, Chalobah, Hato; Santos, Caicedo; Palmer, Fernandez, Neto; Joao Pedro
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