SPORTS MOLE
Record signing Moises Caicedo has been handed his first start for Chelsea against Luton Town in Friday’s Premier League fixture.
On the back of moving to Stamford Bridge for £115m, Caicedo had a debut to forget from the substitutes’ bench, conceding a penalty during a 3-1 defeat at West Ham United.
However, head coach Mauricio Pochettino has opted to give the Ecuador international a full debut five days later as a replacement for the injured Carney Chukwuemeka.
That has proven to be the only alteration to the team, with Pochettino sticking with a 3-5-2 formation that has offered promise but just one point from two matches.
Perhaps most telling is the lack of strength in depth on the substitutes’ bench, Pochettino including two goalkeepers and only Marc Cucurella and Noni Madueke who can be described as senior players.
Meanwhile, Luton boss Rob Edwards has decided to provide Ross Barkley with his debut against one of his former clubs.
Reece Burke has also been introduced into the back three, with Mads Andersen and Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu the players to only be selected as replacements.
Chelsea: Sanchez; Disasi, Silva, Colwill; Gusto, Fernandez, Gallagher, Caicedo, Chilwell; Sterling, Jackson
Subs: Bergstrom, Beach, Humphreys, Cucurella, Maatsen, Ugochukwu, Moreira, Madueke, Burstow
Luton Town: Kaminski; Burke, Lockyer, Bell; Kabore, Chong, Nakamba, Barkley, Giles; Morris, Adebayo
Subs: Krul, Andersen, Doughty, Johnson, Berry, Mpanzu, Ogbene, Brown, Woodrow
