Chelsea predicted XI v Palmeiras – Joao Pedro snubbed as Dewsbury-Hall starts
Enzo Maresca is set to make enforced changes and tactical switches to his lineup as Chelsea take on Palmeiras in their Club World Cup quarter-final.
The Premier League side go head-to-head with the Brazilian Serie A club at 2am on Saturday, 5 July in Pennsylvania.
Maresca’s men successfully navigated their way through to the quarter-finals via a 4-1 victory over Benfica in their last 16 clash on Saturday, 28 June.
Meanwhile, Palmeiras defeated fellow Brazilian outfit Botafogo 1-0 last Saturday thanks to Paulinho’s extra-time strike.
Chelsea predicted XI v Palmeiras
Maresca will be without one of his key midfielders on Saturday, thanks to the fact that Moises Caicedo is suspended.
Caicedo’s absence should hand Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall a rare starting opportunity, while the Englishman impressed by scoring against Benfica last time out.
Fellow midfielder Romeo Lavia is an injury doubt, which could see Reece James starting in a deeper midfield pivot alongside Dewsbury-Hall rather than being deployed in his usual right-back spot.
Meanwhile, as reported by The Guardian, Pedro Neto could miss the West London club’s clash with Palmeiras following the tragic death of his friend and former Wolves teammate Diogo Jota.
If Neto is unavailable, Noni Madueke will likely start on the right wing, with Cole Palmer occupying a starting spot on the opposite flank.
Maresca had a busy week on the transfer front, as Chelsea signed Joao Pedro, but the Brazilian may not be handed his first Blues start on Saturday, as fellow summer addition Liam Delap has already notched a goal and an assist in the Club World Cup.
Maresca set for difficult test against Palmeiras
Football Insider verdict
Chelsea will rightly fancy their chances of getting the better of Abel Ferreira’s men, and the likes of Madueke should be able to trouble the Palmeiras backline.
| Opponent | Result |
| Al Ahly | 2-0 W |
| Inter Miami | 2-2 D |
| Botafogo | 1-0 W |
However, Maresca’s men will have to be at their very best to defeat the South American outfit, who proved how tough they are to beat when they held Portuguese giants Porto to a 0-0 draw in the group stages last month.
The Brazilian clubs have shown their quality in the Club World Cup this summer, while Fluminense are facing Saudi side Al Hilal on Friday, 4 July.
Chelsea have witnessed how strong the Brazilian Serie A sides are, when they suffered a shock 3-1 loss to Flamengo on 20 June, even though they held a 1-0 half-time lead.
The Blues will be determined to avoid suffering a similar fate once more, but could find it difficult to break down a side who are unbeaten in the Club World Cup.