Chelsea FC manager Xabi Alonso has made four changes to his starting line-up for this afternoon's Premier League match against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge. The alterations include a new back four and the return of key attacker Cole Palmer. The Blues, currently fifth in the Premier League with 13 points from eight games, are eight points behind leaders Manchester City.

"Xabi Alonso has opted to make four changes to his Chelsea starting XI for this afternoon's Premier League meeting with Manchester United at Stamford Bridge," the manager said. Marco Palestra makes his first Premier League start, joining Josh Acheampong, Wesley Fofana and Levi Colwill in defence. Mike Penders continues in goal after a strong midweek performance.

Palmer is back after serving a one-match suspension. He is expected to feature in an attacking trio alongside Morgan Rogers and Danny Welbeck, with Moises Caicedo captaining the side from midfield alongside Romeo Lavia. Estevao Willian also joins the attack. The team has scored 17 goals this season while conceding 15.

Match context

The lunchtime fixture arrives with Chelsea fifth in the Premier League table, having taken 13 points from their opening eight matches. Their recent form shows three wins, one draw and one loss. The Blues will look to build on their last result against United, a 2-0 victory on 31 October, where Rogers and Palmer were the scorers. That win was part of a recent run of three wins and a draw from their last five league outings, following results against Liverpool, Tottenham, Everton and Bournemouth.

Both sides are dealing with significant injury issues. For Chelsea, captain Reece James remains out until January after knee surgery, while Joao Pedro, Maxence Lacroix, Jamie Gittens and Jorrel Hato are also sidelined. Malo Gusto and Caicedo are fit to play despite recent discomfort. Aaron Anselmino is another player currently unavailable.

Manchester United, sitting near the bottom of the table, have gone eight games without a win. They are without Luke Shaw, Benjamin Sesko, Patrick Dorgu and Manuel Ugarte, with Marcus Rashford also a doubt. Bruno Fernandes is set to return to their starting line-up.

Chelsea's top scorer this season is João Pedro with five goals in six appearances, though he is absent through injury. The team's next fixture is an away trip to face Sunderland, who are 20th in the table, on Sunday 8 November. Alonso's side will aim to use their returning attacking players to pressure a weakened United defence this afternoon.

This story first appeared at chelseafc.com