MX23RW : Friday, November 22 01:01:36| >> :60:1506:1506:
[monks data]
Attendance: 41,562
Chelsea logo
Premier League
Dec 16, 2017 at 3pm UK
 
Southampton logo

1-0

Alonso (45')
FT(HT: 1-0)

Team News: Alvaro Morata on Chelsea bench, Virgil van Dijk dropped by Southampton

Team News: Morata absent, Van Dijk dropped
© Offside
Alvaro Morata is kept out of Chelsea's first XI for the second Premier League game in a row, while Southampton drop Virgil van Dijk.

Alvaro Morata has been kept out of Chelsea's first XI for the second Premier League game in a row, while Southampton manager Mauricio Pellegrino has dropped Virgil van Dijk.

A mixture of a back problem and fatigue kept the forward out of the Blues' recent 3-1 victory over Huddersfield Town, and it appears that Antonio Conte does not deem the Spaniard fit enough to start.

The manager has made just the one change to his side, and that has come in defence, with Antonio Rudiger being replaced with Gary Cahill, who starts alongside Cesar Azpilicueta and Andreas Christensen in a back three.

The visitors to Stamford Bridge have a new-look side from the one that were hit 4-1 by Leicester City as Southampton boss Pellegrino makes six alterations to the first XI.

Van Dijk has been relegated to the bench following his poor performance, while Dusan Tadic, Steven Davis, Charlie Austin, Mario Lemina and Sofiane Boufal all join him.

Wesley Hoedt, James Ward-Prowse, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Jack Stephens and Manolo Gabbiadini all come into the fray for this afternoon's encounter.

Chelsea: Courtois; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Cahill; Moses, Kante, Bakayoko, Alonso; Willian, Hazard, Pedro
Subs: Caballero, Rudiger, Zappacosta, Drinkwater, Fabregas, Batshuayi, Morata

Southampton: Forster; Soares, Hoedt, Yoshida; Stephens, Bertrand, Romeu, Ward-Prowse; Hojbjerg, Redmond, Gabbiadini
Subs: McCarthy, Davis, Lemina, Van Dijk, Tadic, Boufal, Austin

Follow Sports Mole's live text commentary of the match here.

ID:314254: cacheID:314254:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:4477:No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Mauricio Pellegrino observes the action during the Premier League game between Southampton and Watford on September 9, 2017
Read Next:
Pellegrino hails Saints trio after win
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
1.15am
Steelers
@
Browns
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool119112161528
2Manchester CityMan City117222213923
3Chelsea115422113819
4Arsenal115421812619
5Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest115421510519
6Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton115421915419
7Fulham115331613318
8Newcastle UnitedNewcastle115331311218
9Aston Villa115331717018
10Tottenham HotspurSpurs1151523131016
11Brentford115152222016
12Bournemouth114341515015
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd114341212015
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham113351319-612
15Leicester CityLeicester112451421-710
16Everton112451017-710
17Ipswich TownIpswich111551222-108
18Crystal Palace11146815-77
19Wolverhampton WanderersWolves111371627-116
20Southampton11119721-144


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!