The predicted Chelsea starting lineup against Real Madrid, which includes Thiago Silva and Mason Mount.
Frank Lampard, who returned to the club last week, will be in charge of his second game when Chelsea and Real Madrid square off in the Champions League quarterfinal at the Bernabeu.
Before facing Real Madrid, Frank Lampard has a lot to think about, and choosing a team to play in the Bernabeu won't be easy.
A shift to a back four seemed to impede any progress gained in the attacking sense over the course of 2023, as the Blues interim manager's first game in charge against Wolves ended in defeat. Lampard has an issue that has continued all season to address as Chelsea enters the Champions League match without scoring since before the international break.
Thiago Silva, Mason Mount, and N'Golo Kante trained prior to their travel to Madrid, so the 44-year-old boss will be allowed to use them for the first time since joining the team. After missing the majority of the season due to injury, Kante was rested against Wolves to manage his playing time. Silva and Mount haven't played since being obliged to appear against Tottenham in February.
Kante is set to start the match against Los Blancos, but Silva and Mount's starting spots are less definite considering how Chelsea has handled the return of injured stars throughout the course of the season. Yet, given that Chelsea has little else to play for, there aren't many games with the same level of significance as this one.
The most likely candidate to start in goal is still Kepa Arrizabalaga, and flanking the center defenders will be Reece James and Ben Chilwell, who recently signed a new contract that would keep him with the team until 2027. Kalidou Koulibaly is most likely to be paired with Wesley Fofana, and Kante will likely play alongside Enzo Fernandez and Mateo Kovacic in midfield for the third time in as many seasons.
Although Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang or David Datro Fofana are ineligible to challenge Kai Havertz in the Champions League, the Blues line captain had a terrible game against Wolves and may find his position in jeopardy. Raheem Sterling is in the running to start after Lampard praised his potential to affect the game. Mykhailo Mudryko may also be feeling confident after receiving a standing ovation for his performance at the Bernabeu earlier in the season.
Kepa; James; Fofana; Koulibaly; Chilwell; Kante; Fernandez; Kovacic; Sterling; Havertz; and Felix make up the predicted starting XI.
