Raheem Sterling of Chelsea runs with the ball whilst under pressure from Nayef Aguerd  (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) Raheem Sterling of Chelsea runs with the ball whilst under pressure from Nayef Aguerd  (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Raheem Sterling of Chelsea runs with the ball whilst under pressure from Nayef Aguerd (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Confirmed Chelsea line-up vs West Ham: one change from XI vs Liverpool

Chelsea are looking to avoid being winless in their opening two fixtures of a Premier League season for only the third time this century.

Chelsea will begin life without captain Reece James after manager Mauricio Pochettino confirmed the full-back has picked up a worrying hamstring injury and would be out for weeks.

The Chelsea manager all but sticks to the team that impressed massively against Liverpool with captain Chilwell playing as a left winger instead of a left back.

Benoit Badiashile, Marcus Bettinelli, Armando Broja, Trevoh Chalobah, Wesley Fofana and Christopher Nkunku all remain out.

But Chelsea will be delighted that they have been able to get the signing of Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia across the line despite facing stiff competition from Liverpool for their signings.

Both players will add quality and will also increase the competition levels in the team- as they go in search of their first win of the season. Last weekend, they drew with Liverpool at home so they will be hoping to build on that as Pochettino tries to rescue a team that fell so low that they finished outside the top half of the Premier League table.

Chelsea are looking to avoid being winless in their opening two fixtures of a Premier League season for only the third time this century.

The Blues looked sharp in pre-season and the exit of some first-team players including Kante and Mason Mount has opened the door for manager Mauricio Pochettino to bring in young and hungry players who are looking to make a name for themselves.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.