BREAKING: Enzo Maresca offers major hints about his starting lineup against Newcastle through his recent decisions with Panathinaikos.
The Blues secured a 4-1 victory away from home against the Greek Pro League team in the Europa Conference League, maintaining their unbeaten record in the group stage.
Joao Felix scored twice, Christopher Nkunku converted a penalty, and Mykhailo Mudryk added a well-placed header after a strong overall performance.
Manager Enzo Maresca opted for his “second string XI” for the game, as he often does in cup competitions, reserving his “best XI” for league matches. However, his lineup last night may hint at who will start against Newcastle on Sunday.
Lavia and Gusto likely to start Lavia is expected to retain his starting spot for Chelsea after being chosen over Enzo Fernandez last Sunday against Liverpool. Enzo, who played last night, may be benched again in favor of Lavia for the Newcastle match.
Malo Gusto didn’t make the trip to Greece, though he’s not injured. Marc Cucurella started and completed last night’s game, while Gusto started at left-back against Liverpool, indicating Gusto will likely get the nod at left-back once again on Sunday.
Based on the rest of last night’s lineup, the expected starting XI could look like this:
Sanchez; James, Fofana, Colwill, Gusto; Caicedo, Lavia, Palmer; Sancho, Madueke, Jackson.
While some called for Pedro Neto to start, his appearance last night suggests he might be on the bench for the Newcastle game.
