4 players who Graham Potter could bring back into Chelsea's starting XI against Crystal Palace
Chelsea will return to league action with an away trip against Crystal Palace this weekend (October 1) following the end of the international break.
The Blues will be hoping to get their 2022-23 Premier League campaign back on track, following what has been an unconvincing start to the season.
Chelsea are currently seventh on the log after six games, with a -1 goal difference. The west London club have also lost two games already this season against Leeds United and Southampton.
The Blues' new head coach, Graham Potter, will also be in charge of his first Premier League match for the club against Crystal Palace.
Potter could possibly make some changes to the side that drew at home to Red Bull Salzburg in the UEFA Champions League prior to the international break.
Without further ado, this article will take a look at four players the Chelsea head coach could reintroduce into the starting XI against Crystal Palace.
#4 Edouard Mendy
The Senegalese shot-stopper is currently Chelsea's number one goalkeeper and it will be interesting to see if he keeps his spot under Potter.
Edouard Mendy missed the Blues' last two games against Dinamo Zagreb and Red Bull Salzburg due to injury, with Kepa Arrizabalaga starting in his place.
Mendy recently returned to first-team training following his short injury spell and could be in contention to face Crystal Palace.
Good to see Edouard Mendy back in training today. https://t.co/75YhFrHp43
The 30-year-old shot-stopper could make his 100th appearance for the west London club against the Eagles, should he be handed game-time by Potter.
He will also be hoping to convince his new head coach after a poor start to the season which has seen him concede nine goals.
#3 Kalidou Koulibaly
One of the surprise names that was dropped from Chelsea's last game against Salzburg was Senegalese centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly.
The 31-year-old defender was an unused substitute as the Blues failed to secure a win against their Austrian opponents at Stamford Bridge.
Koulibaly could however be in contention to return to the starting XI for the Blues against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
The highly rated defender has been relatively impressive for the west London club since joining from Napoli earlier this summer. He was a key figure in defense under former manager Thomas Tuchel.
Kalidou Koulibaly: "When I was younger, I used to watch Chelsea games, like when @didierdrogba came from Marseille to Chelsea; then they won the Champions League & he scored the penalty, it was everything on my mind, so when I signed for Chelsea he texted me, I was really happy." https://t.co/iyC2f7LgoO
Koulibaly has so far played a combined total of 519 minutes of football action since joining Chelsea. He also has a goal to his credit, which he scored against Tottenham Hotspur in a 2-2 draw.
#2 Wesley Fofana
Another player who could be brought back into the Blues' starting XI when they travel to face Crystal Palace this weekend is Wesley Fofana.
The 21-year-old defender wasn't given a single minute of football action during Potter's first game in charge of Chelsea against Red Bull Salzburg.
The English tactician opted to deploy club captain Cesar Azpilicueta at the right-centre-back position. The decision didn't pay off in the end, as the Blues failed to keep a clean sheet against their oppenents.
Fofana's athleticism could be key for Chelsea against Crystal Palace. This is because Patrick Viera's team possesses very tricky wingers such as Eberechi Eze and Wilfried Zaha.
Wesley Fofana Lock Screen 📸 #CFC https://t.co/4jO4AJzpks
The French defender completed a big-money transfer (£75 million) to the Blues from Leicester City this summer. He has only featured four times for the club so far this season.
#1 N'Golo Kante
Most Blues fans were delighted with the news that French midfielder N'Golo Kante has recently returned to training after picking up a hamstring injury.
The 31-year-old suffered an injury set-back during the club's Premier League game against Tottenham at Stamford Bridge.
Kante has since missed all of the Blues' last six games across competitions due to his injury. His absence was also felt in Chelsea's midfield, as they only picked up two wins in those six games.
What a fantastic sight to see Ngolo Kante back training. https://t.co/aMGpQOvRMC
Should he be declared fit, Kante will no doubt be one of the first names in Potter's starting XI against Crystal Palace. He has played only two games for the west London club this season.