Newcastle will face off against Chelsea in the Premier League as speculation mounts regarding Enzo Maresca’s future with the Blues.
The Italian manager has been rumored to be in talks with Manchester City should Pep Guardiola depart at the season’s end. Maresca addressed these rumors on Friday, reaffirming his commitment to the project at Stamford Bridge.
In the aftermath of Chelsea’s 2-0 victory over Everton last weekend, Maresca expressed that he felt unsupported by “many people” at the club, describing it as his “worst 48 hours” in charge. Nevertheless, the win lifted Chelsea to fourth place in the Premier League, a position they’ll aim to solidify at St James’ Park.
On the other hand, Newcastle will be looking for a strong response following their disappointing 1-0 loss to Sunderland last weekend. However, they rebounded with a victory over Fulham midweek, securing a spot in the Carabao Cup semi-finals alongside Chelsea.
When is Newcastle vs. Chelsea?
The match will kick off at 12:30 PM on Saturday, December 20, at St James’ Park.
How can I watch the match?
It will be broadcast on TNT Sports and Discovery+.
Confirmed Line-ups:
Newcastle XI: Ramsdale; Miley, Schar, Thiaw, Hall; Tonali, Guimaraes, Ramsey; Murphy, Woltemade, Gordon
Subs: Ruddy, Joelinton, Wissa, Barnes, Elanga, Willock, A Murphy, Neave, Shahar
Chelsea XI: Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; James, Caicedo; Neto, Palmer, Garnacho; Joao Pedro
Subs: Jorgensen, Badiashile, Tosin, Acheampong, Hato, Fernandez, Santos, Buonanotte, Guiu
What is the team news?
Newcastle’s defensive options are limited, with just three fit senior defenders available after Tino Livramento was ruled out due to a knee injury. Dan Burn, Kieran Trippier, Emil Krafth, and Sven Botman, along with Nick Pope, are all unavailable.
Chelsea are still without Liam Delap, Levi Colwill, Romeo Lavia, and Estevao. Delap is expected to possibly return for the match against Aston Villa next week, while Moises Caicedo is back from suspension.