Chelsea travel to Premier League champions Leicester on Saturday evening looking to bounce back from defeat to Tottenham last time out in the league.
A 4-1 victory over Peterborough signified the Blues’ intentions in the FA Cup last weekend, and another victory this weekend would kick-start Chelsea’s 2017 and bolster the Blues’ title ambitions.
Antonio Conte received his third consecutive Manager of the Month award for Chelsea’s performances in December, the first man to win three awards in a row, after the Blues won all six matches over the festive period, scoring 13 goals and conceding just three.
Leicester meanwhile have only won one of their last five in the league, a 1-0 victory against West Ham on New Year’s Eve, but did come from behind to beat Everton 2-1 in the FA Cup last weekend.
Conte did not give much away in terms of his team selection in his press conference earlier on Friday afternoon but did reveal there are one or two players who will need to be assessed before he picks his team.
And the Blues boss has since dropped striker Diego Costa, following a training ground altercation between the Spaniard and a Chelsea fitness coach.
Costa is also the latest high profile player to be targeted by a number of Chinese clubs, with reports suggesting one club is prepared to offer the striker a staggering £30-million-a-year.
Nathan Ake was recalled from his loan spell with Bournemouth earlier this week and Conte has been impressed with the Dutch under-21 international but did not reveal whether he will include Ake against Leicester.
Here’s who we think will start on Saturday.
