Chelsea open their 2018/19 Premier League campaign with an away trip to Huddersfield Town and the lineups for Saturday’s fixture at the John Smith’s Stadium have been revealed.
TEAM NEWS with @ViessmannUK: #htafc Head Coach David Wagner has named his starting XI for the Club’s opening game of the 2018/19 @premierleague season as the Terriers face @ChelseaFC at the @johnsmithstadia #HUDCHE (AT) pic.twitter.com/eDe0VZmbg2
— Huddersfield Town (@htafcdotcom) August 11, 2018
The Terriers are in their usual 3-5-2, with Ben Hamer retaining his place between the sticks.
Mathias Jorgensen, Christopher Schindler and Terrence Kongolo start at the back while Aaron Mooy anchors the midfield with Jonathan Hogg and Philip Billing.
Florent Hadergjonaj and Chris Lowe are the wing-backs for the hosts while Alex Pritchard plays just off centre forward Steve Mounie.
Here’s your Chelsea team this afternoon, which includes a debut for @Kepa_46! 👐#HUDCHE pic.twitter.com/H7Ety290fQ
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 11, 2018
The visitors are trotting out in a 4-3-3, with Premier League debuts for summers signings Kepa Arrizabalaga and Jorginho.
The world’s most expensive goalkeeper has a four-man defence of Cesar Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger, David Luiz and Marcos Alonso ahead of him.
N’Golo Kante starts in a three-man midfield along with Jorginho and Ross Barkley while Alvaro Morata leads the line for the Blues and he’s flanked by Pedro and Willian.
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After their defeat in the Community Shield, Chelsea will be desperate to get the Maurizio Sarri era off to a flyer in the Premier League but the Terriers aren’t going to make it easy for them.
Favourites to go down last year, David Wagner’s men caused several top sides all sorts of problems and in their own backyard, will be fancying their chances against a side that are yet to be attuned to their new coach’s philosophy.
Huddersfield Town: Hamer, Jorgensen, Schindler, Kongolo, Hadergjonaj, Hogg (C), Billing, Lowe, Pritchard and Mounie.
Chelsea: Arrizabalaga, Alonso, Rudiger, Luiz, Azpilicueta (C), Jorginho, Barkley, Kante, Pedro, Morata and Willian.
The match kicks off at 1930 IST.