LONDON, Sporting Alert – Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has decided to freshen up his starting lineup for today’s Champions League clash with Maccabi Tel Aviv at Stamford Bridge.
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The Portuguese coach has grown frustrated with the poor start from his team in the Premier League and he has decided to bench the likes of John Terry, Branislav Ivanovic, Nemanja Matic and Diego Costa for this game.
Team news in for our #UCL commentary – #CFC v M. Tel-Aviv
Six changes for the Blues.
http://t.co/dudJBb6QQm pic.twitter.com/aUbGNgFrY3
— BBC 5 live Sport (@5liveSport) September 16, 2015
Mourinho made six changes to the side that suffered a 3-1 defeat to Everton at the weekend, with Baba Rahman handed his Chelsea debut and will start in the four-man defensive backline.
Gary Cahill, after sitting on the bench against Everton, returns to the starting lineup as the captain and will play alongside Kurt Zouma at the center-back position.
Youngster Ruben Loftus-Cheek also gets his first start in the Champions League, where he will play with Cesc Fabregas, who needs a good performance in midfield.
Oscar is back from injury and he will play with Eden Hazard and Loic Remy in the attack.
Chelsea are without striker Radamel Falcao, who misses out with a minor problem, while first choice goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois remains on the sidelines until the December after his knee surgery.
Summer recruit Asmir Begovic will continue in goal.
Former Chelsea center-back Tal Ben Haim is among the starters tonight for Maccabi Tel Aviv, with Tal Ben Haim (no relation) and Nikola Mitrovic leading the attack.
Chelsea will be hoping to finally get going this season, following the poor start to their English Premier League title defence.
The Blues have collected just four points from five games and are 11 points behind Manchester City in the table standings.
Chelsea XI: Begovic; Azpilicueta, Cahill, Zouma, Baba; Loftus-Cheek, Fabregas; Willian, Oscar, Hazard; Remy. Subs: Blackman, Ivanovic, Terry , Matic, Ramires, Traore, Diego Costa.
Maccabi Tel Aviv XI: Rajkovic; Shpungin, Ben-Haim, Tibi, Ben-Harush; Alberman, Mitrovic, Igiebor; Ben-Haim II, Zahavi (c), Rikan. Subs: Lifshitz, Carlos Garcia, Vermouth, Peretz, Itzhaki, Miha, Radonjic.
