Community Shield 2015: Chelsea’s predicted line-up against Arsenal
Jose Mourinho gave little away in his pre-match press conference ahead of Chelsea's Community Shield match against Arsenal, which you can hear live on talkSPORT.
He confirmed he had a fully fit squad to choose from after Gary Cahill and Diego Costa picked up knocks on the club’s pre-season tour of the United States.
Therefore, it is likely new signing Radamel Falcao will have to settle for a place on the bench, along with new backup goalkeeper Asmir Begovic.
Mourinho called the game “more than a friendly” and “less than a league game” as he prepares to rekindle his rivalry with Arsene Wenger.
See how Chelsea could line up below:
Goalkeeper:
Thibaut Courtois will certainly be Mourinho’s no.1 this season, despite the signing of Asmir Begovic. The Bosnia goalkeeper will get minutes in the domestic cup competitions but do not expect to see him making his competitive debut at Wembley on Sunday.
Defence:
Now that Cahill has been confirmed as fit for the match, last season’s tightest defence picks itself. John Terry will lead out the side having played every minute of Chelsea’s 38 league games last term.
Kurt Zouma had been tipped to start had the former Bolton defender not been deemed fit but this will likely be the back five you will see on the majority of Mourinho’s team sheets throughout the forthcoming season.
Midfield:
Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas ran every midfield they came up against as the Blues marched to the Premier League title. Matic has established himself as the best defensive midfielder in the league and will be spending much of his day making sure Mesut Ozil does not assert his influence upon proceedings.
Fabregas comes up against his old club but do not expect any divided loyalties. The World Cup winner contributed 18 assists in his first Chelsea season and with the front four he has ahead of him, it is likely he will get near that total again.
Attack:
Like Cahill, Costa’s return to fitness will be a massive relief for Chelsea considering all of the time he spent on the treatment table since arriving at Stamford Bridge. Consequently, Falcao will have to wait for the chance to prove to an English audience that he is still the world class player he once was.
Behind him, he has the creative, attacking trident of Eden Hazard, Willian and Oscar. The two Brazilians are available for selection following their Copa America exploits in Chile over the summer while Hazard will be looking to show the world his name belongs in the same sentence as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, like Mourinho claimed this week.
The Community Shield between Arsenal and Chelsea is live on talkSPORT from 3pm on Sunday.