Chelsea host Burnley in one of three Saturday 3pm fixtures in the Premier League.
The Blues had won four league matches in a row for the first time this season before their disappointing draw against Leeds.
Meanwhile, Burnley completed a stunning 3-2 comeback against Crystal Palace in their last league match. The Clarets became the first team in 17 years to lead at halftime after trailing by two goals.
Both teams played in the FA Cup last weekend with a contrast in results. Chelsea thrashed Hull 4-0 while Burnley were shocked by League One Mansfield.
This Premier League fixture is crucial in the context of the standings.
Liam Rosenior’s good start to life as Chelsea boss means that his team remain in the Champions League places, although Liverpool are just two points behind.
Scott Parker reiterated in his press conference that he still has hope of avoiding relegation. Burnley are nine points from safety with just 12 games remaining.
The hosts will be happy to welcome back their captain Reece James, who missed the last three games with a slight niggle. Cole Palmer is also back fit and firing again. Chelsea’s talisman has scored four goals in his last two league games.
The Blues’ main miss will be Marc Cucurella. The left back has been one of Chelsea’s most influential players this season. However, he was removed at halftime against Leeds with a hamstring issue and won’t be available for several weeks.
Levi Colwill, Jamie Gittens and Dario Essugo are all out with long term injuries, and the unlucky Romeo Lavia is still building up to match fitness on the training pitch.
Scott Parker confirmed that Armando Broja won’t feature against his former club as he is expected to be fit in a couple of weeks. The same goes for Axel Tuanzebe.
Josh Cullen, Connor Roberts, Jordan Beyer, Zeki Amdouni and Mike Tresor are all out.
Chelsea’s attack has been working well recently, especially since the return of Cole Palmer. He has formed a deadly partnership with Joao Pedro, who has been in fantastic form under Rosenior.
Chelsea have scored at least two goals in all of league their fixtures under the new boss.
However, the defence has been leaky and Cucurella’s absence won’t help. If they are to finish in the Champions League places Chelsea must stop conceding soft goals.
Burnley have had issues at both ends of the pitch all season, which is reflected by their league position of 19th.
Top scorer Jaidon Anthony was on the scoresheet against Palace. He had been on a five game goalless run after his strong start to the season.
Chelsea are expected to be comfortable winners, but Burnley’s recent comeback and the added incentive of avoiding relegation could bring the result into jeopardy.
Scott Parker has been under increasing pressure this season. Just as the Palace result looked to have secured his job in the short term, the embarrassing defeat to Mansfield has eradicated a lot of the positivity.
Yet he insisted in his Thursday press conference that his squad still believe that they can beat the drop.
“100% there is still belief,” he said. “You saw at Crystal Palace that we are fully committed to getting more wins and putting pressure on [the teams around them].”
“After debriefing the cup game, the main driver is the Palace result — coming back from 2–0 down after seven minutes to win away from home. That’s what we hold onto now.”
He also spoke about dealing with the pressure he is under.
“I’ve experienced that before. At 45-years-old, with three promotions at different clubs, I know what I’ve achieved. I’m a fighter. There are always bumps in the road,” Parker said.
And Parker said that he continues to look for ways to boost his team’s hopes of survival.
“We’re constantly searching for solutions — different selections, shapes, systems. We haven’t found a consistent formula yet, but we’ll keep working to help the players and gain more points,” he said.
