Chelsea are preparing to host West Ham United at home in the Premier League this weekend. They faced a 3-1 defeat by the hands of Manchester City in their previous game. Hence, they will be eager to get back into winning ways.

The Blues have slipped to the sixth position on the points table and need to step up. They cannot afford to drop points if they wish to secure a Champions League berth for next season. For now, the league title is almost gone from their hands.

Filip Jörgensen is likely to be the man with gloves for the Blues after a poor show from Robert Sanchez and the fans outrage. Reece James had an average display against City but he is likely to keep his right-back spot.

Enzo Maresca might have to go with Levi Colwill and Trevoh Chalobah at the heart of the defence once again. No change at the left full-back position as Marc Cucurella continues to operate there.

Midfield

Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez are once again deployed in the middle of the park to control the tempo of the game. The duo will try to disrupt the opponent’s flow and contribute to both aspects of the game.

Attack

While Noni Madueke is operating on the right, Cole Palmer is playing centrally as the attacking midfielder. The latter had a below-par game against his former side and will be desperate for a comeback.

The left side of the pitch will see Jadon Sancho running down with Nicolas Jackson being the sole striker in the lineup.

Romeo Lavia, Benoit Badiashile and Wesley Fofana are sidelined due to injuries for this fixture.

Former Netherlands internationals Ronald de Boer and Wesley Sneijder have voiced their frustration with former Liverpool star Jordan Henderson, slamming him for refusing to face the media amid reports suggesting he wants to leave Ajax.

Both ex-footballers believe Henderson’s refusal to wear the armband and speak to the press is causing more unrest within the club.

Sneijder, speaking to the press after Ajax’s 2-1 victory over Galatasaray in the UEFA Europa League, called out the English midfielder, stating he was “not man enough” to address the media.

“Don’t be so difficult, man. You play the match, you have the armband on and after the match, you say: ‘Yeah, guys, I don’t know yet. Something is going on. We’ll see.’ Be a man and stand your ground. Right now you get speculation and you create a lot of unrest,” Sneijder said.

De Boer also criticized Henderson, saying, “This is complete nonsense. Henderson wanted to focus on the match, but he did not have to appear in front of the camera before the match. I understand that Pasveer has to do this, but it is simply nonsense. Henderson simply has other things on his mind and apparently does not want to respond to it.”

Recent reports suggest that Henderson is pushing for a move away from Ajax this month, even threatening to go on strike.