Mauricio Pochettino has switched to a back three for Chelsea's Premier League fixture at Brentford on Saturday afternoon.

The Blues are playing their third game in the space of a week, with the first one in the EFL Cup final going to extra time before they suffered defeat to Liverpool.

That may have played its part in Pochettino opting to go with the trio of Trevoh Chalobah, Axel Disasi and Levi Colwill for the meeting with their West London neighbours.

A total of five changes have been made to the team which started the FA Cup fifth round tie against Leeds United on Wednesday night, with Djordje Petrovic, Conor Gallagher, Ben Chilwell and Cole Palmer also being recalled as well as Colwill.

Robert Sanchez, Alfie Gilchrist, Noni Madueke, Mykhaylo Mudryk and Raheem Sterling are the players to miss out in the first XI.

Thiago Silva and Marc Cucurella both feature on the substitutes' bench after groin and ankle injuries respectively, while Cesare Casadei is able to return after being ineligible for the recent cup games.

Meanwhile, Thomas Frank has made four alterations to the Brentford side that started Monday's 4-2 defeat away at West Ham United.

With Ben Mee having been ruled out for the rest of the season, Nathan Collins has been brought back into the defensive three.

Mads Roerslev takes the spot of Keane Lewis-Potter at right wing-back, with Vitaly Janelt getting the nod over Mathias Jensen in midfield.

In attack, Yoane Wissa is rewarded for his goal against the Hammers with a starting role ahead of Neal Maupay.

Brentford: Flekken; Zanka, Ajer, Collins; Roerslev, Norgaard, Oneyka, Janelt, Reguilon; Wissa, Toney

Subs: Strakosha, Maupay, Jensen, Ghoddos, Lewis-Potter, Damsgaard, Baptiste, Yarmoliuk, Ji-soo

Chelsea: Petrovic; Chalobah, Disasi, Colwill; Gusto, Fernandez, Caicedo, Gallagher, Chilwell; Palmer; Jackson

Subs: Sanchez, Gilchrist, Silva, Cucurella, Casadei, Tauriainen, Madueke, Mudryk, Sterling

Written by
Darren Plant