London Football News

Chelsea trio set to return: Lampard’s expected line-up against Lille

Chelsea fans will be eager to see whether Antonio Rudiger returns to action in tonight’s all-important Champions League game against Lille.

Rudiger has made just one appearance this season but is back in the squad and “has a chance” of playing according to manager Frank Lampard.

It would be asking a lot of the German to step back in, but with Fikayo Tomori out injured and Kurt Zouma and Andreas Christensen having been poor in the defeat at Everton on Saturday, Lampard will surely be asking himself whether he can afford to not select Rudiger for a game Chelsea must not lose.

Zouma has often failed to convince this season and Lampard might feel he’d be better off with the more composed Christensen alongside Rudiger on a night the Blues cannot afford the kind of defensive slip-ups that have blighted their season.

Rudiger’s knowhow could make all the difference – and Lampard might well go for experience on such a crucial night.

That could well mean youngsters Reece James and Mason Mount sitting this one out, with the more seasoned Jorginho and Emerson Palmieri coming back into the side.

Expected Chelsea line-up: Kepa, Azpilicueta, Christensen, Rudiger, Emerson, Jorginho, Kovacic, Kante, Pulisic, Willian, Abraham.




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