Chelsea are soon to face Manchester United in what is set to be an epic match of rivalry between clubs and managers. Chelsea have had an unbeaten run so far this season, securing 20 out of a possible 24 points. They currently sit joint top on points with Manchester City.
United, meanwhile, have had a disappointing and troublesome start of the season, with losses to West Ham and Brighton among the results of their fixtures so far. They currently sit 8thin the table and will be looking to close the gap with a victory over Chelsea.
As well as being an important fixture for the two teams, both hoping to take the three points and advance their respective positions, this game will also be important for the managers. Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri’s will be looking to show Mourinho the new Chelsea, and this will actually be the first time that the two managers meet on the touchlines.
Manchester United Double Injury Blows
As if their current form wasn’t a problem enough to overcome, Manchester United have also been struck with more injury blows, with the possibility of two more major players missing the fixture against Chelsea.
Manchester United are already missing Jesse Lingard, who has not played since United’s defeat against Derby in the EFL Cup earlier in the month. Last news, he was still recovering from an inflamed groin, but United hope to have him back in time for the fixture. Fresh injury concerns come from Nemanja Matic and Luke Shaw.
Matic has been pulled out of international duty with Serbia, and missed matches against Montenegro and Romania. United recently announced that he was staying at the club for rehabilitation, casting doubt on whether he will be available to play against Chelsea. Matic had two seasons of joy with Chelsea, both times lifting the Premier League title. He moved to Manchester United with Mourinho in summer 2017.
Luke Shaw has also been pulled out of international duty for England’s matches against Croatia and Spain. Though England’s campaigns are characterised by missed opportunities, this year’s World Cup saw England progress further than expected, and Shaw would have welcomed the chance to join the squad. He has returned to decent form at left-back on United’s first team, but suffered a “small setback” in their recent comeback win against Newcastle. He will certainly be missed by United if he doesn’t return to fitness in time for the match against Chelsea.
Herrera and Rojo are both back in training and should be fit to play against Chelsea, giving United a double boost to counteract their double blow. Herrera has proved valuable in stopping Eden Hazard in previous meetings between the sides.
Can Chelsea Capitalise?
Chelsea only have one injury concern. Antonio Rudiger has left the Germany squad following a groin injury. The former Roma defender has played the full length of 7 out of 8 of Chelsea’s Premier League games so far this season, and at this rate, it’s looking like he will miss the upcoming game.
Eden Hazard has also expressed concern over Lukaku’s return to form. The Manchester United striker scored two goals for Belgium in their 2-1 win over Switzerland. If he keeps up with that pace against Chelsea, then he could cause problems.
Other than that, form and current predictions suggest that Chelsea have the upper hand in this game, and should be able to take the three points. United will be fighting hard to regain composure and return to the top levels of the league table, but Chelsea aren’t looking like the side which would concede points, especially with their current unbeaten run under Sarri, and recent pressing tactics working well.
This will be the 181st meeting between the clubs. United have traditionally held dominance with 77 wins, but Chelsea have only lost 2 out of 16 of the clashes since October 2012, and haven’t lost a home game against the side since then. Chelsea face Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on October 20th. Kick off is at 12:30 pm.
