CHELSEA will be desperate to return to winning ways when they entertain Crystal Palace on Saturday.
And the game could feature the Premier League debut of new keeper Edouard Mendy.
The Senegal international impressed between the sticks despite Chelsea losing to Tottenham in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.
He is almost certain to get the gloves, with boss Frank Lampard seemingly at the end of his tether with blunder keeper Kepa.
Christian Pulisic is back in the frame for the game, but will only make the bench at best as he is eased back from injury.
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The Blues were 3-0 down in their last Premier League fixture away at West Brom, but managed to somehow snatch a 3-3 draw.
Callum Hudson-Odoi and club captain Cesar Azpilicueta were two players brought off the bench to rescue the situation.
And both performed well enough to give themselves a great chance of starting the Palace game.
Lampard’s big decision could be whether to play Tammy Abraham or Timo Werner up top.
If Abraham gets the nod it could mean a move out wide for the £52m German signing from RB Leipzig.
One player who almost certainly looks likely to miss out this weekend is Marcos Alonso.
The left-back was hauled off at half-time against Albion, and it was revealed he went to watch the second half in the team bus.
Lampard was fuming and made him come back and sit on the bench. He then gave the Spaniard a dressing down in front of his team-mates after the game.
And Ross Barkley definitely won’t feature – at least for Chelsea this weekend.
The 26-year-old midfielder joined Aston Villa on loan for the rest of the season.
The arrival of Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech threatened to leave the ace out of Blues boss Lampard’s plans — with the postponed Euros looming.
Midfielder Barkley said: “The last couple of years I’ve been stop-start, performing well and then being out of the team. To come here and have the chance to play regularly is a big thing for me.
“The Euros at the end of season is a big target, hopefully I can be there.
“Dean Smith swayed me with the way he spoke to me, it looks like it’s going to be an exciting season.”
