Neto and Jorgensen decision made, Dewsbury-Hall role: Chelsea predicted line up vs Manchester City

Enzo Maresca will not only be looking to beat his former side, Manchester City but also to break a jinx and become the first Chelsea manager in seven attempts to win their first game for the club. Frank Lampard, Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Bruno Saltor, Frank Lampard (in his second spell), and Mauricio Pochettino all failed to win their first games as Chelsea managers, so a victory tomorrow would be a great start for the Italian boss.

The club has also not won a game against Manchester City since they beat them in the Champions League final 1-0 in Porto in 2021, although there is some encouragement as the two league games between them last season ended in draws.

Ahead of the game, Maresca has spoken about the need for progress and why seeing players fighting for the ball even in training is a sign of things to come. Last season, Chelsea finished sixth, so they have Europa Conference League football to look forward to.

Manchester City will be without Rodri, who is still not fully fit after picking up a hamstring injury during the Euro 2024 final. Chelsea, however, will also be without captain Reece James, who is injured and would have been suspended anyway after his sending-off at Brighton last season.

Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall are among the hoard of new faces at Stamford Bridge that could make their competitive debuts for the club this weekend, but both are expected to start on the bench, along with goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen, who was signed this summer.

With Maresca looking for a strong start to the season, here is the team we expect to start the game tomorrow:

The starting XI: Robert Sánchez, Marc Cucurella, Malo Gusto, Levi Colwill, Wesley Fofana, Romeo Lavia, Moisés Caicedo, Enzo Fernández, Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke, Christopher Nkunku.