Chelsea confirmed squad!🔥Aston Villa vs Chelsea,3-4-2-1 Formation,Kepa Starts, Kante &James Out!,Cucurella

 

Trevoh Chalobah, Marc Cucurella, Jorginho, Armando Broja, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are the senior players who start for Chelsea in their friendly against Aston Villa in Abu Dhabi this evening – but there is no Reece James involved as he continues his comeback from injury.

The match is an opportunity for Graham Potter to get match minutes into several senior members of the Chelsea squad ahead of the resumption of the Premier League season against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on December 27. Several members of the club's Development Squad also have the chance to impress.

With Edouard Mendy yet to return from his post-World Cup break and Kepa Arrizabalaga still sidelined from the injury he sustained against Brighton last month, there is a rare outing for Marcus Bettinelli in goal for the Blues. Summer arrival Eddie Beach is among the substitutes.

READ MORE Aston Villa vs Chelsea LIVE: Cucurella, Jorginho and Aubmeyang start, goal and score updates

In what appears to be a back four, Josh Brooking starts at right-back alongside Development Squad teammate Bashir Humphreys. The opposite side of the backline has far more experience with Chaobah deployed at centreback and Cucurella operating on the left flank.

Charlie Webster, who is out of contract in the summer, looks set to be deployed in midfield alongside Italian international Jorginho and Lewis Hall, who pushed his way into the first-team side prior to the winter break with strong showings against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup and Newcastle United in the Premier League.

The front three isn't short of quality. Omari Hutchinson is set to start on the right of an attacking three which is completed by Broja and Aubameyang.

James is not in the squad as expected. The 23-year-old stepped up his recovery from injury by returning to full team training on Friday but is not ready to be thrown back into competitive football just yet.

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Chelsea confirmed squad!🔥Aston Villa vs Chelsea,3-4-2-1 Formation,Kepa Starts, Kante &James Out!,Cucurella