Mauricio Pochettino has named Nicolas Jackson and Malo Gusto in his first Chelsea starting XI as the Blues take on Wrexham in Chapel Hill. The fixture is Chelsea’s opening game of pre-season and provides Pochettino and his staff an opportunity to assess the majority of the squad that has traveled to the USA for our summer tour.
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Jamie Cumming starts in goal for the Blues, and Pochettino appears to have settled on a back four that consists of Gusto, Chalobah, Humphreys, and Cucurella. Andrey Santos will make his first outing in Chelsea blue in midfield and will be partnered by Italian Cesare Casadei, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Championship club Reading.
Carney Chukwuemeka is set to be deployed in a No. 10 role, with Maatsen and Moreira as the wingers selected. Nicolas Jackson, recruited from Villarreal this summer, leads our attack. It will be the Senegal international’s first Chelsea appearance.
Levi Colwill, Enzo Fernandez, and Noni Madueke are not included in the squad, having only returned for pre-season training at the start of the week.
Meanwhile, former Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster is among the starters today for Wrexham. Foster, who is also a former England international, captains the lower-league side tonight.
Paul Mullin, who scored 47 goals last season to help Wrexham gain promotion, will lead the attack again today.
Chelsea Starting XI: Cumming, Gusto, Chalobah, Humphreys, Cucurella, Casadei, Santos, Moreira, Chukwuemeka, Maatsen, Jackson. Substitutes: Kepa, Bergstrom, Thiago Silva, Chilwell, Gilchrist, Hall, Gallagher, Angelo, Sterling, Nkunku.
