Chelsea head into their Premier League opener against Fulham with Xabi Alonso poised to hand starts to several new arrivals in what promises to be a landmark occasion.
Alonso is expected to deploy a 3-4-2-1 formation, the same shape he used across each of his last three preseason friendlies as he looks to stamp his identity on the squad.
Reece James is projected to drop into the back three, a positional switch forced by the suspension of Wesley Fofana ahead of the Craven Cottage trip.
The predicted lineup reads: Robert Sanchez; Reece James, Maxence Lacroix, Levi Colwill; Pedro Neto, Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Marco Palestra; Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers; Joao Pedro.
Morgan Rogers is set for his competitive debut after his £117 million move from Aston Villa, a transfer that set a new record for a British player.
Rogers marked his arrival in style during preseason, scoring his first unofficial goal for the club during the victory over Real Sociedad, giving supporters a glimpse of what to expect.
Joao Pedro will be another player keen to impress, with the Brazilian arriving at Craven Cottage off the back of seven goals during preseason and having just signed a fresh contract extension.
After that kind of preseason form, it would be brave to bet against Joao Pedro making an immediate impact against a Fulham side who will be eager to frustrate Chelsea’s ambitions.
On the injury front, Danny Welbeck faces a late fitness test, leaving Alonso uncertain over his availability as final preparations are made before kick-off.
Jordan Henderson and Emmanuel Emegha are both definitely ruled out, joining Fofana on the sidelines and further testing the depth of Alonso’s squad heading into the new campaign.
Chelsea have been among the busiest clubs in the transfer market this summer, and the visit to Fulham gives Alonso the chance to showcase just how much his new-look side has evolved.
Getting his Chelsea reign off to the perfect start will be the priority for Alonso, with supporters hoping the new arrivals can hit the ground running from the opening whistle.