Chelsea will endeavour to boost their hopes of securing European football for next season when they welcome relegation-threatened Burnley to Stamford Bridge for a Premier League clash on Saturday afternoon.
The two teams meet for the first time since October last year when the West Londoners cruised to a 4-1 victory over the Clarets at Turf Moor.
Match preview
© Reuters
Prior to the international break, Chelsea strengthened their hopes of lifting their first piece of silverware under Mauricio Pochettino as they secured a 4-2 victory over Championship outfit Leicester City to progress to the FA Cup semi-finals.
The Blues initially threw away a two-goal lead and looked on course for extra time, but the Foxes fightback was ultimately in vain, as stoppage-time strikes from substitutes Carney Chukwuemeka and Noni Madueke ensured that Chelsea punched their ticket to Wembley for a last-four showdown with holders Manchester City next month.
Chelsea's focus now shifts to the Premier League, with Pochettino and co determined to end the season on a high by climbing into the European positions. With 11 games remaining, the Blues currently sit 11th in the table and five points behind West Ham United in seventh, while they are eight points adrift of sixth-placed Manchester United, who they face on home soil next Thursday.
Excluding their extra-time defeat to Liverpool in the EFL Cup final, Chelsea have found a way to grind out positive results in recent weeks, winning five games and drawing another two across all competitions since February 7.
In the Premier League, Chelsea have scored in each of their last 11 matches, with only Luton Town (17) and Man City (13) currently enjoying longer scoring streak. The Blues have also excelled in front of goal against Saturday's opponent Burnley, as they have netted at least once in their 17 top-flight meetings with the Clarets – their best such record in the division.
© Reuters
An immediate demotion back to the Championship is looming for Burnley, but they managed to take one huge step towards pulling off a great escape when they beat Brentford 2-1 at Turf Moor before the international break – just their fourth top-flight win of the campaign.
The Clarets' cause was helped by the eighth-minute dismissal of Sergio Reguilon, whose foul on Vitinho allowed Jacob Bruun Larsen to convert the opener from the penalty spot. David Datro Fofana added a second just after the hour mark, before Kristoffer Ajer netted what proved to be only a consolation for the Bees six minutes from time.
Vincent Kompany's side gained ground on each of the five teams above them in the table last time out, but they remain in 19th place and are still five points adrift of 17th-placed Luton heading into their final nine games of the season.
Burnley are sure to have one eye on potentially pivotal fixtures against Everton and Sheffield United next month, but they must first turn their attention to Saturday's tricky trip to Chelsea, whom they have beaten just once in their 17 previous Premier League meetings – a 3-2 away triumph in August 2017.
Interestingly, four of the five times that the Clarets have avoided a top-flight defeat against Chelsea have been at Stamford Bridge, so that should provide Kompany and co with some optimism heading into this weekend's clash.
Team News
© Reuters
Chelsea will be without Romeo Lavia (thigh), Wesley Fofana (knee), Christopher Nkunku, Reece James and Lesley Ugochukwu (all hamstring) due to injury, while Levi Colwill (toe), Chukwuemeka, Robert Sanchez and Trevoh Chalobah (all unspecified) are also unavailable, with the former three all undergoing rehabilitation programmes.
Ben Chilwell will have a knock to his knee sustained on England duty assessed ahead of kickoff, while Enzo Fernandez is yet to return to the club following his spell away with Argentina. Malo Gusto, meanwhile, pulled out of the France Under-21s squad due to illness, but he should be fit to start at right-back.
After scoring the winner for Ukraine in midweek to help them qualify for Euro 2024, Mykhaylo Mudryk will be pushing to start ahead of Raheem Sterling and Noni Madueke on the left flank, while Thiago Silva and Djordje Petrovic are set to be recalled after beginning as substitutes against Leicester last time out.
Nicolas Jackson is expected to lead the line for Chelsea; the Senegalese has nine goals and nine yellow cards to his name in the Premier League this season and he could become just the third player to reach 10 for both in his first campaign after West Ham's Paolo di Canio (1997-98) and Blackpool's Charlie Adam (2010-11).
As for Burnley, Aaron Ramsey, Luca Koleosho (both knee) and Nathan Redmond (thigh) are all ruled out with long-term injuries, while Jordan Beyer (thigh) and Ameen Al-Dakhil (unspecified) are both doubtful.
David Datro Fofana has scored four goals in eight games since joining the Clarets on loan from Chelsea in January, but he is ineligible to face his parent club this weekend, so either Lyle Foster or Zeki Amdouni could deputise in attack alongside Wilson Odobert, who scored his first Premier League goal in the reverse fixture against the Blues five months ago.
Goalkeeper James Trafford will be pushing for a recall after being dropped and replaced by Arijanet Muric for the first time this season against Brentford, while Josh Brownhill and Johann Berg Gudmundsson will both be looking to start in midfield.
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Petrovic; Gusto, Disasi, Silva, Chilwell; Caicedo, Fernandez; Palmer, Gallagher, Mudryk; Jackson
Burnley possible starting lineup:
Trafford; Assignon, O'Shea, Esteve, Taylor; Vitinho, Cullen, Berge, Larsen; Odobert, Foster
We say: Chelsea 3-1 Burnley
Keeping a free-scoring Chelsea side quiet should prove challenging for Burnley, who will likely feel the absence of in-form Blues loanee Fofana and must rely on others to step up in the final third if they are to pull off an upset.
Despite their unpredictability and leaky backline, Chelsea will be regarded as firm favourites for Saturday's contest and victory over Burnley should get the ball rolling for the European-chasing Blues ahead of an important encounter with Man United next week.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Oliver Thomas
