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Chelsea face Villarreal in the UEFA Super Cup to mark the beginning of their competitive season on Thursday (IST) at Windsor Park in Belfast. The Blues, who qualified for the tie as Champions League holders, have lost all three of their previous attempts to lift the UEFA Super Cup. As such, Chelsea will be determined to break the curse this time around.
Although on paper Chelsea could be considered favorites, Thomas Tuchel is well aware of the threat on offer from Villarreal. The La Liga club toiled hard to upset Manchester United on their way to lifting the Europa League last season and are no pushovers.
Chelsea are likely to field a strong line-up against Villarreal
Many of Chelsea's players were heavily involved at Euro 2020, but the Blues have welcomed everyone back just in time to be ready for the meeting with Villarreal.
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However, there are some notable absentees in the 26-man squad named by Chelsea for the one-off final. Senior first-team stars like Ross Barkley, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Davide Zappacosta have all missed out on making the cut.
As Chelsea prepare to lock horns with Villarreal for the UEFA Super Cup, here's how we expect them to line-up under Tuchel:
GK: Edouard Mendy
The Senegalese shot-stopper has cemented his spot between the sticks since joining Chelsea from Rennes last season. After winning the Champions League in his debut season, Mendy will be brimming with confidence and is easily one of the first names on the teamsheet for Chelsea.
Villarreal have both Gerard Moreno and Paco Alcacer in their ranks, with both forwards more than capable of troubling any goalkeeper. As such, Mendy will have to be on his toes to nullify their threat.
RCB: Cesar Azpilicueta
Cesar Azpilicueta is expected to don the captain's armband for Chelsea against Villarreal on the night. The 31-year-old is entering the final year of his contract at Stamford Bridge and will be determined to prove a point in an attempt to earn an extension.
Due to his versatility, Azpilicueta has been deployed in a variety of roles during his Chelsea career. In Tuchel's preferred three-man defense, the Chelsea captain has prominently featured as the right-sided centre-back. Even against Villarreal, Azpilicueta is tipped to start in a similar role.
CB: Andreas Christensen
In an impressive Euro 2020 campaign, Andreas Christensen proved to be an absolute superstar for Denmark. The centre-back is now back with Chelsea and is expected to play a starting role in the Super Cup against Villarreal.
Since Christensen did not feature in any of the three pre-season games, the Dane may not be used for the entire game. There is also the option of involving Thiago Silva for Chelsea, meaning it wouldn't be a surprise if the two defenders shared the 90 minutes between them against Villarreal.
LCB: Antonio Rudiger
The German has enjoyed a remarkable turnaround in fortunes under Tuchel. Rudiger has solidified his position at the back for Chelsea and started each of the two big pre-season games against rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
With enough pre-season minutes and training under his belt, Rudiger will be raring to go out there and make an impact. If Chelsea are to put an end to their UEFA Super Cup curse, they will have to defend well against Villarreal and Rudiger could play a crucial role in the same.
RWB: Reece James
The Englishman did not feature in any of the pre-season games, but Chelsea will be keen to give him enough minutes against Villarreal. Reece James is expected to establish himself as first-choice at right wing-back in the upcoming season, following his strong finish to the last campaign.
Considering how James is equally adept at pushing further forward and tracking back with good effect, he remains an asset to any team. Chelsea will be hoping he can do more of the same against Villarreal.
CM: N'Golo Kante
Kante exited Euro 2020 in unceremonious fashion with France. However, the midfielder is now back with Chelsea and has set his sights firmly on doing well with the west London club.
Although he did get minutes under his belt during the pre-season clash with Tottenham Hotspur, Kante will know the real test starts with the game against Villarreal. If the Frenchman can be at his imperious best, then Chelsea could be hard to stop.
Having already established himself as one of the most vital cogs in Tuchel's system, Kante will be aiming to begin the new campaign by lifting silverware.
CM: Jorginho
The Italian midfielder has endured a remarkable summer. After helping Chelsea win the Champions League in May, Jorginho went on to lift Euro 2020 with Italy last month.
Due to his influential role in helping both club and country to European glory, talks of Jorginho deserving the Ballon d'Or have become rife. Although Jorginho winning the Ballon d'Or is unlikely, the midfielder is expected to continue to remain integral to whatever Chelsea aim to do next season.
The Blues will be hoping their star man can work his midas touch in the UEFA Super Cup clash against Villarreal too.
LWB: Ben Chilwell
Chilwell did not play a single minute during England's run to the Euro 2020 final. But at Chelsea he is quite comfortably a guaranteed starter. The full-back will be fresh and raring to go in the UEFA Super Cup against Villarreal.
Tuchel is expected to deploy Chilwell at left wing-back and with the threat of Gerard Moreno looming large, the Englishman will have to be at his best throughout the game.
Even though he is primarily expected to focus on defending, the fact that Chilwell relishes pushing forward is no secret. If Chelsea can benefit from his attacking exploits on the left flank, Villarreal could be in for a long night.
AM: Mason Mount
The Chelsea superstar has enjoyed a meteoric rise and is expected to return to action against Villarreal. Mount is probably the first person on the teamsheet and has only grown in confidence under Tuchel.
Due to his involvement with England at Euro 2020, Mount enjoyed an extended holiday and did not play in any of the pre-season games for Chelsea. However, the 22-year-old is expected to slot straight into the line-up for the clash against Villarreal.
Chelsea will be hoping to rely on Mount to provide them with the X-factor inside the final third against Villarreal. Undoubtedly, the midfielder will want to taste further European silverware with his boyhood club.
AM: Hakim Ziyech
There is no denying the fact that Ziyech failed to impress in his first season at Chelsea. Barring two important goals in victories over Manchester City in the FA Cup and Premier League towards the end of last season, he failed to live up to his credentials.
Despite rumors of him leaving the club, Ziyech responded in spectacular fashion during pre-season. The Moroccan netted a hat-trick in a behind-closed-doors friendly for Chelsea last month before netting a brace in their final pre-season outing against Tottenham Hotspur.
Purely based on the form he is in, Ziyech deserves to start the UEFA Super Cup clash against Villarreal. If he gets the opportunity, the attacker will be determined to make an impression at the expense of Villarreal, who cannot afford any lapses in concentration while dealing with him.
ST: Kai Havertz
Tuchel enjoyed considerable success while deploying Havertz as a false-nine last season. Although an agreement has been reached to bring Romelu Lukaku back to Stamford Bridge, Chelsea could still use Havertz in a similar role in some games.
The UEFA Super Cup outing against Villarreal seems like the ideal opportunity to try and utilize Havertz's abilities to the best in a central role. Timo Werner has not looked entirely convincing while shouldering the responsibility up top and it wouldn't be a surprise if he starts on the bench.
Havertz found the back of the net during the win over Arsenal in pre-season and seems ready to pick up from where he left off last season. Considering his tall frame and quick feet, the German could cause a few problems for Villarreal if he is trusted with the role up front.
Irrespective of who starts up front for Chelsea, the Blues will be hoping they can hit the ground running straightaway against Villarreal at Windsor Park on Thursday (IST).
