The Blues have picked up just two points in the last three league games and recently suffered a 2-1 loss at Arsenal.

Manager Liam Rosenior will be keen to make amends against Villa. There could be two key changes to the starting XI.

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Predicted Line-up:

Robert Sanchez had a nervy London derby against Arsenal and made several errors with his distribution. The Spaniard was also partly responsible for the Gunners’ winner. Despite this, he is expected to continue in goal for the west London giants.

The defence could witness one change from last weekend. Mamadou Sarr had a fine league debut, barring his deflection that contributed to William Saliba’s opening goal. He could make way for Wesley Fofana, who is available after suspension.

Fofana is set to partner Trevoh Chalobah in the heart of the defence. Reece James was brilliant from right-back and created Chelsea’s only goal with a superb corner. The club captain is a nailed-on starter.

Jorrel Hato deserves to keep his place at left-back ahead of Malo Gusto after keeping Bukayo Saka relatively quiet. The Dutchman has been growing in confidence since Rosenior took charge.

No changes are expected in the heart of the midfield. Moises Caicedo and Andrey Santos are poised to start, while Enzo Fernandez should continue as the attacking midfielder for the Blues.

With Pedro Neto suspended, Alejandro Garnacho should feature on the left wing. The Argentine almost scored a late equaliser at Arsenal, but David Raya denied him with a world-class save.

Cole Palmer is likely to feature on the right wing with Joao Pedro upfront. Liam Delap was hardly involved as a substitute last weekend and could be restricted to another cameo appearance.

Predicted Chelsea line-up (4-2-3-1) vs Aston Villa: Sanchez; James, Fofana, Chalobah, Hato; Santos, Caicedo; Palmer, Fernandez, Garnacho; Joao Pedro

The left-back had a promising loan stint with Brighton & Hove Albion last term and it was sufficient to convince Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino to integrate him into the squad.

Brighton tried to pursue a permanent deal for him, but Pochettino made it clear that he will be a key player in the squad. Colwill went on to sign a new long-term contract at the club.

Since the start of the campaign, Colwill has been a regular in the line-up. He has excelled playing from central defence as well as from the left-back spot ahead of Ben Chilwell.

With Chiwell on the sidelines, the Blues graduate is now set for an extended spell in the position and Ferdinand believes he can be a consistent starter for his country.

He said: “I see him as the England centre-half in waiting because I think he’s got everything.”

“I see him at Brighton, composure, asked to play a different way, adapted straight away. As long as he stays on it, his mindset stays strong, works at his game still, I think he’s got a huge opportunity.”

The Blues have had an indifferent start to the campaign but they were impressive against Fulham on Monday night where they secured a promising 2-0 Premier League win.

The club will be hoping to carry the momentum against Burnley this weekend. Following the international break, they have a huge test on their hands with difficult fixtures.

The Red Devils have identified the Cameroonian star as their main goalkeeper target, and talks are currently advanced with Inter Milan to find a transfer agreement. As per Fabrizio Romano, a fee in the region of €55 million could convince them.

A deal could materialise as early as next week and this could directly benefit Chelsea, who are looking to offload Romelu Lukaku.

The Blues sent Lukaku back on loan to Inter last season. He had a decent campaign for them with 14 goals and seven assists.

The Nerazzurri are now exploring a permanent deal for the striker, and reports claim that they plan to launch a formal approach for the Belgium international once they recoup funds from the sale of Onana to the Red Devils this month.

This should provide the Blues with a financial boost. It is well known that Lukaku wants to return to San Siro, and he has already turned down a lucrative offer from Al-Hilal. Onana’s move to Old Trafford could be a blessing in disguise.

Chelsea currently value Lukaku in the region of €40m. It is highly unlikely that Inter will pay the transfer fee up front, but the Blues will be hoping that they can secure the entire sum by negotiating easy add-ons with the Nerazzurri.

Meanwhile, the Blues are planning to pursue another striker after Lukaku’s exit. As things stand, the club continue to be regularly linked with Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic. The Bianconeri are set to hold out for €80m for his services.

The USA international has been deemed surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge, and he is expected to leave the Blues in a few days’ time.

As per Di Marzio, the Blues have finally agreed a transfer fee worth €20 million plus add-ons with the Rossoneri.

The London giants have now given permission to organise a medical, and it appears only a matter of time before Pulisic heads for the exit door.

Milan have a good working relationship with the Blues, and they have already signed Fikayo Tomori, Olivier Giroud and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Loftus-Cheek only recently moved to San Siro, and Pulisic could join his former teammates, provided he undergoes a successful medical.

The Blues have been on a selling spree over the past few weeks, and it could continue with a number of outcasts still in the squad.

Hakim Ziyech was expected to join Al-Hilal at the end of last month, but a deal broke down after his medical was unsuccessful.

The Moroccan is still likely to be offloaded by the Blues. Alongside him, Romelu Lukaku and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang should leave.

Inter Milan are open to pursuing a permanent deal for Lukaku. Aubameyang, on the other hand, has no offers on the table for now.

Aside from the trio, Chelsea have a decision to make on the futures of Trevoh Chalobah and Conor Gallagher in the coming weeks.

Chalobah is currently on the radar of several Serie A clubs while Gallagher has English interest, though he prefers to stay.

Fernandez was a key player for Argentina at the World Cup last year. He made a couple of key goal contributions in the group stage, and went on to play an important role en route to glory.

As a result, he was on the radar of several elite clubs in January, but the Blues moved quickly and finalised a deal for him before the transfer deadline.

Fernandez showed glimpses of his immense quality last season, and the 22-year-old will now be aiming to prosper under the guidance of Pochettino.

Speaking in today’s press conference, Pochettino said that he is proud and excited to work with a World Cup winner in the squad.

He told Chelseafc.com: “It’s a pleasure. I am proud of him [Enzo Fernandez] and our national team. I am so excited. I hope we can win many trophies together here.”

Fernandez largely played in the number six role for the Blues last term. In the absence of N’Golo Kante, he was not offered the offensive freedom by the Blues.

However, the situation should change next season. The club are putting in the effort to sign Moises Caicedo from Brighton & Hove Albion.

The Ecuadorian starlet will be expected to play in the holding role, thereby allowing Fernandez to showcase his creativity higher up the field for the London club.

Aside from Caicedo, it seems the capital outfit are also exploring a deal for Southampton’s Romeo Lavia.

The Blues are lining up a new shot-stopper for next season with Kepa Arrizabalaga and Edouard Mendy struggling in goal.

Maignan has emerged as the latest target for the Blues, but L’Equipe claim that Milan have no plans of selling him.

The Rossoneri have had good success in the last two years and Maignan has played a big role between the sticks.

The Frenchman helped them win the Scudetto after 10 seasons as well as reach the Champions League semi-final.

Hence, there are no surprises that the Rossoneri are reluctant to sell and Chelsea may need to make a huge offer.

He is currently valued at €35 million by Transfermarkt and it could take double the fee to prise him away.

Milan have not had any investment from their new owners and they could welcome a huge intake of funds.

Whether Chelsea are prepared to make such a substantial offer for the Frenchman remains to be seen.

The Blues currently need to balance their books to avoid Financial Fair Play issues in the near future.

They may not make such a big outlay on Maignan in our opinion, and may decide to look elsewhere.

The Red Devils are eyeing a new striker in the summer and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen is on their radar.

The Nigerian has been in superb form for Napoli this term with 19 goals across all competitions.

His form has caught the eye of elite clubs and The Telegraph report that United are now keeping tabs.

The Red Devils are likely to spend big this summer with the prospect of a huge takeover.

Osimhen could be easily affordable for the new owners but the club will no doubt face competition.

Chelsea have Osimhen as their top target for this year and they won’t give up so easily.

One thing in United’s advantage is the fact that the Blues may not offer Champions League football.

While United are flying high in third, the London giants are currently 11 points behind the top four.

This could be a potential setback for Graham Potter’s side if there is a bidding war for Osimhen.

Osimhen is likely to leave Napoli this summer, having refused to rule out his potential exit.

The striker has already stated that it is up to the Naples outfit to decide his future.

Napoli are reportedly prepared to sell him for a fee in the region of 120 million euros.

The west London side wanted a new right wing-back option this summer and they were linked with Jonathan Clauss before his move to French side Marseille.

In the end, Cesar Azpilicueta signed a new two-year deal, but we won’t be surprised if the club look for an upgrade behind Reece James at the end of the campaign.

Pavard would be an ideal fit as he is in the prime of his career with vast experience.

He would also provide versatility for the Blues, considering he can also operate as a central defender which he has rarely done since his move to Bayern few years ago.

It remains to be seen whether they are successful in signing him. Champions League football will be a minimal necessity to land the Champions League winner next summer.

He would also need an improved salary on top of assurances of regular game time. Pavard will want consistent minutes and not just to play second fiddle at right wing-back.

As things stand, Pavard will enter the final year of his Bayern contract in June next year. If a renewal is not agreed by then, Bayern are bound to sell him for a reasonable transfer fee.

The Blues were second-best during the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final last week, suffering a 3-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge.

They have a huge mountain to climb at the Bernabeu, and should go into the game with optimism after a thumping victory at Southampton.

After back-to-back losses, the Blues produced a perfect response with a resounding 6-0 Premier League triumph over the Saints on the road.

This should boost their confidence ahead of tomorrow’s game, but they will have to cope with the absence of at least four first-team players.

Ben Chilwell has been ruled out for the long-term after a knee surgery. Alongside him, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Romelu Lukaku and Ross Barkley are sidelined.

Hudson-Odoi has been struggling with an Achilles issue for weeks. Lukaku is now recovering from a similar concern. He recently missed the Saints game.

Meanwhile, Barkley has been ruled out with a non-covid illness. Their absence is not a big blow for Tuchel, but he would have preferred Lukaku in the squad.

He told Chelseafc.com: “Callum Hudson-Odoi is still out and Ben Chilwell is of course out for a long time.

“Romelu will not travel due to his pain in the Achilles that he has felt recently. Ross Barkley is sick.”

Lukaku has been poor in his homecoming season with just 12 goals, but the Belgian had a decent showing during the second half against Madrid last week.

He almost scored with a headed chance, and created another scoring opportunity for Hakim Ziyech, who put his effort just side of Thibaut Courtois’ far post.

Tuchel won’t be able to call on him tomorrow, but Timo Werner may have a big chance to prove himself.

The German netted a brace and hit the woodwork thrice against the Saints. He was fantastic up front alongside Kai Havertz against a high-pressing side.

It will be a completely different challenge against Madrid. Werner netted in his previous meeting against Madrid last term, and will be hoping to replicate the feat.

The Blues have drawn back-to-back games in the top-flight, and will be desperate to return to winning ways.

They are already six points behind leaders Manchester City, and can’t afford to lose further ground in the title race.

Ahead of the game, Tuchel has been handed a boost with the return of Romelu Lukaku, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Andreas Christensen to training.

The trio are likely to make the matchday squad, but it is uncertain whether they will be fit enough to earn a starting role against the Midlands outfit.

How Chelsea could line up against Villa:

Edouard Mendy is due to report with Senegal for the African Cup of Nations next month, and he looks set to miss the Liverpool encounter.

Before that, the Blues have two outings against Villa and Brighton. He is widely expected to start in both as the first-choice Premier League goalkeeper.

The central defence could see a minor tweak from last weekend. Trevoh Chalobah could come in to partner Thiago Silva and Antonio Rudiger in the back three.

Reece James and Marcos Alonso are automatic starters in the wing-back positions. The latter has experienced a mixed run of form, but should keep his place with Ben Chilwell injured.

Saul Niguez had a positive impact in midweek, but he may not start against an Aston Villa side following his dismal experience on his Premier League debut against them.

Jorginho could be accompanied by Mateo Kovacic, who should be fit to complete 90 minutes after few more training sessions. Tuchel may try to be unorthodox with N’Golo Kante playing higher up.

Kante has excelled with his forward runs lately, and he could play in attacking midfield with Mason Mount with Hakim Ziyech yet to fully recover from his injury last weekend.

Christian Pulisic look set to lead the line with Timo Werner and Kai Havertz sidelined. Lukaku may not be risked from the off after his Covid setback, and he could feature off the bench.

Predicted Chelsea line-up (3-4-2-1): Edouard Mendy; Trevoh Chalobah, Thiago Silva, Antonio Rudiger; Reece James, Mateo Kovacic, Jorginho, Marcos Alonso; N’Golo Kante, Mason Mount; Christian Pulisic.