Chelsea v Bournemouth: Blues duo set to start, Cherries to make changes

Eden Hazard and Mateo Kovacic could start at Stamford Bridge for the first time this season in Chelsea’s Premier League clash with Bournemouth on Saturday.

Hazard and Kovacic, who is on loan from Real Madrid, made their first starts of the season at Newcastle last week as Chelsea made it three wins from as many league games.

Cesc Fabregas remains out with a knee injury and is Chelsea’s only injury absentee.

Provisional squad: Kepa, Caballero, Rudiger, Alonso, Jorginho, Drinkwater, Kante, Barkley, Hazard, Pedro, Moses, Kovacic, Giroud, Zappacosta, Willian, Cahill, Christensen, Azpilicueta, Morata, Luiz, Emerson Palmieri, Ampadu, Loftus-Cheek, Hudson-Odoi.

Bournemouth are expected to make changes.

Scotland winger Ryan Fraser was the only player to start last Saturday’s draw with Everton and Tuesday’s Carabao Cup victory over MK Dons as boss Eddie Howe made 10 changes.

Midfielder Jefferson Lerma and left-back Diego Rico made their Cherries debuts and could feature again, but forward Junior Stanislas (knee) and midfielder Kyle Taylor (muscle problem) remain out and some undisclosed players have knocks from the cup win.

Bournemouth: Begovic, Boruc, Ramsdale, Francis, S. Cook, Ake, Simpson, Mings, Daniels, Smith, Rico, Gosling, Surman, Lerma, L. Cook, Pugh, Fraser, Brooks, Ibe, King, Mousset, Defoe, Wilson.