After a good start to his adventure at Chelsea, Hiddink has now lost back to back Premier League games and his team are suddenly low on confidence. The season is all but over for Chelsea who have no real motivation to play good football from now to the end of the season but they will hope to finish the season with a bang and will want to come back to winning ways when they travel to the Dean Court to face the Bournemouth side this weekend.
Hiddink revealed that his side has no new injuries to worry about. He gave some good news for the fans when he revealed that Belgian star playmaker Eden Hazard is fit enough to make the match-day squad after recovering from a hip injury. However, he might not make the starting XI on the night.
Skipper John Terry, defender Kurt Zouma, and striker Loic Remy are all out injured while Thibaut Courtois, who picked up a red card in the Manchester City game will be replaced by Begovic in goal for this game.
Here is Chelsea’s predicted line-up to face AFC Bournemouth on Saturday:
Goal Keeper:
Aasmir Begovic:
Will get his chance due to the Courtois’ suspension and will have to prove himself if he wants to stay at the club for another season.
Defense:
Cesar Azpilicueta:
One of the consistent defenders for Chelsea this season, Azpilicueta will keep his place in the side and will start on the right side of the defense.
Gary Cahill:
Was shaky to all game against City and will be hoping to put in a better performance against the Cherries this weekend.
Branislav Ivanovic:
Slotted into the central defense role and assuming it to perfection, Ivanovic has been a beast at the back and though found wanting at times has done a decent job in an unfamiliar position for a long time.
Baba Rahman:
Slowly growing in stature after getting a consistent run of the game for the club, Rahman has grown in confidence since his first game and will play an important role in this game.
Midfield:
John Obi-Mikel:
Finding a lot of game time under Hiddink, Mikel has been decent in the deep-lying midfielders role and will have to be at his best for this game.
Cesc Fabregas:
Has had an inconsistent season so far and will have to find his confidence before the end of the season to end the season on a high.
Willian:
Arguably the best player for Chelsea this season, Willian, will once again have to shoulder the responsibility of a smooth transition from defense to attack in the mid-field.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek:
Showed great promise in the game against City but slowly faded away. Will have to put in a better performance on Saturday against the Cherries.
Pedro:
Not been able to make a name for himself at the Bridge and with time running out this season, he will have to step up his game in the final third.
Attack:
Diego Costa:
Coming back from an injury lay-off, Costa did not look too comfortable with the physical battle against City but will have an easier game at the Vitality stadium on Saturday.
