Chelsea have made two changes to their starting lineup for their Premier League away fixture against Sunderland. Manager Xabi Alonso has brought in Pep Chavarria at left-back and restored Jordan Henderson to the midfield.
Chavarria replaces Josh Acheampong in the defensive line, with Marco Palestra switching from the left to the right-back position. Henderson, who has recovered from illness, takes the place of Estevao Willian in the engine room. He partners Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, with Caicedo declared fit to start despite missing a portion of training this week.
Mike Penders continues in goal, with summer signing Emi Martinez not included in the matchday squad as he continues his recovery from a fractured jaw. Aaron Anselmino, recently back from injury, is named on the bench for the first time this season. The front three remains unchanged, with Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Pedro Neto leading the attack.
Chelsea travel north sitting fourth in the Premier League table with 16 points from their opening nine matches, having recorded five wins, one draw and three losses. Their recent form has been inconsistent, with two wins, one draw and two losses in their last five outings, a sequence that includes a 2-0 win over Manchester United and a 1-1 draw with Liverpool but also a 0-2 home defeat to Tottenham. They will be looking to improve on the result from their last meeting with Sunderland, a 1-0 defeat at the Stadium of Light earlier this season, a match decided by a first-half penalty.
The team has scored 19 goals and conceded 15 so far this campaign, leaving them 11 points behind the league leaders Arsenal. Key absentees for the Blues include long-term injury victims Reece James and Jorrel Hato, while Joao Pedro and Maxence Lacroix also remain sidelined. Pedro is the club's top scorer this campaign with five goals in six appearances. Following this match, Chelsea's next Premier League fixture is at home to Leeds United on Saturday 21 November. Leeds currently sit eighth in the table.
This story first appeared at chelseafc.com
