Chelsea host Tottenham in a ferocious London derby under the lights at Stamford Bridge, with the Blues aiming for a record-breaking seventh consecutive home win over their north London rivals. The hosts are without top scorer Joao Pedro, who suffered an injury in training, while Geovany Quenda makes his first start for the club alongside Mike Penders.
Team news and injury updates
Joao Pedro's absence is a major shock, as there was no suggestion of an injury in the build-up. Standard Sport understands the Brazilian is being assessed after suffering the issue during training at Cobham on Friday. Xabi Alonso told Sky Sports: "He felt something in training yesterday. At the moment he has some liquid, so we have to do some tests to know how big the injury is. It's disappointing, but we need to carry on."
Tottenham make two changes from the team that beat Coventry on Monday, with Dominic Solanke dropping to the bench. Roberto De Zerbi explained: "Because I am lucky to have a big squad, many solutions, many different solutions in terms of characteristics and physical characteristics. I took this decision but the game is 90 minutes."
Lineups and key players
Chelsea XI: Penders, Acheampong, Lacroix, Colwill, Neto, Henderson, Caicedo, Hato, Palmer, Quenda, Rogers. Subs: Sharman-Lowe, Fofana, Gusto, Palestra, Barco, Lavia, Nicoll-Jazuli, Estevao, Welbeck.
Tottenham XI: Kinsky, Gray, Van Hecke, Van de Ven, Robertson, Fernandes, Tonali, Kudus, Maddison, Marmoush, Tel. Subs: Dubravka, Senesi, Gallagher, Solanke, Kulusevski, Porro, Davies, Olusesi, Williams-Barnett.
Match context
Xabi Alonso has overseen back-to-back wins for the first time in the Premier League, taking Chelsea into the top four. The hosts have lost just once in their last 16 home meetings with Spurs. Emi Martinez is in attendance at Stamford Bridge, a week on from surgery on a fractured jaw.
