4-2-3-1: How Chelsea could line up against Aston Villa | OneFootball

Chelsea will be aiming to avoid stretching their winless run to three games across all competitions when they take on Aston Villa in Birmingham on Saturday evening.

The Blues have slumped to sixth on the Premier League table after winning just two of their last nine league games (D3, L4).

Enzo Maresca’s troops produced arguably their worst performance since the Italian took over in the recent 3-0 defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion.

They’ll need something special to get the better of a Villa side brimming with confidence after holding Premier League leaders Liverpool to a thrilling 2-2 draw at Anfield last time out.

Chelsea have an impressive record against the Lions at Villa Park, winning five of their last six visits (L1) and will head to Birmingham on the back of consecutive wins at Villa’s headquarters.

The record gives the Blues plenty to be optimistic about, but their ongoing injury crisis could be their Achilles Heel.

How Chelsea could line up vs Aston Villa

Chelsea’s defeat against Brighton didn’t come without casualties, with the Blues losing both Noni Madueke and Malo Gusto to injuries, although the latter is fit enough to start on the bench against Villa.

Madueke picked up a hamstring issue just 21 minutes into the game, and his absence adds to Maresca’s alarming list of absentees.

The England international joins Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, Romeo Lavia, Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu on the sidelines.

Maresca, who has been handed a lifeline despite Chelsea’s woeful form, also confirmed that none of those players are likely to return until after the international break.

Meanwhile, the Italian could make a huge call by handing academy graduate Tyrique George his first Premier League start in place of Jadon Sancho.

Sancho’s introduction against Brighton left little to be desired, so the 24-year-old could be relegated to the bench alongside Levi Colwill, who has put in several shaky performances over the past couple of weeks.

Predicted Chelsea line-up: