Chelsea and United Set for Showdown at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea manager, Xabi Alonso, has picked Cole Palmer, Estevao, and Romeo Lavia for the starting line-up in Saturday’s Premier League match against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.

Palmer is back in the starting team after sitting out one match due to suspension. Brazilian player Estevao gets his chance to start after not playing in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup loss to Liverpool.

Lavia will join Moises Caicedo in midfield as Alonso finalizes his team for the game.

Chelsea's line-up includes Mike Penders in goal. The defence features Marco Palestra, Levi Colwill, Wesley Fofana, and Josh Acheampong.

Lavia and Caicedo will hold down the midfield, while Estevao, Palmer, and Pedro Neto will support Morgan Rogers in attack.

The Blues’ starting XI is: Penders; Palestra, Colwill, Fofana, Acheampong; Lavia, Caicedo; Estevao, Palmer, Neto; Rogers.

On the other hand, Manchester United manager, Michael Carrick, has chosen Senne Lammens as goalkeeper. Diogo Dalot, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez, and Leny Yoro will make up the defence.

Bruno Fernandes will captain the team. He leads a line that includes Amad Diallo, Andrey Santos, Bryan Mbeumo, Carlos Baleba, and Matheus Cunha.

United’s starting XI is: Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Yoro; Fernandes, Cunha, Amad, Santos, Mbeumo, Baleba.

The match is set to kick off at 12:30 GMT.

Chelsea will miss several key players, such as Reece James, João Pedro, Maxence Lacroix, Jorrel Hato, Emiliano Martínez, Jamie Gittens, and Aaron Anselmino, who are not in the matchday squad.

Manchester United also has some absentees, including Marcus Rashford, Benjamin Šeško, Luke Shaw, Patrick Dorgu, Manuel Ugarte, and Kobbie Mainoo.

PUNCH Online reports that Palmer is back in Chelsea's starting line-up after finishing his one-match suspension from his red card in the last game, which kept him out of Wednesday’s Cup defeat to Liverpool.

Estevao and Romeo Lavia are also getting their chance to start for Chelsea.

Meanwhile, Manchester United's captain Bruno Fernandes is back in the starting XI after he didn’t play in their 3-0 loss to Bournemouth.