Chelsea vs Wolves: Premier League Preview, Gameweek 10, 2022
Chelsea's Thiago Silva and Wolves' Pedro Neto battling in May. (Photo Credits: Visionhaus/Getty Images)

Chelsea welcome Wolves to Stamford Bridge on Saturday as both sides look to climb the Premier League table.

A win for the hosts could see them move into the top four, while three points for the visitors could see them move out of the relegation zone and up to 12th. 

The sides last met in May, sharing the points in a 2-2 draw. Romelu Lukaku's quickfire brace was cancelled out by a Francisco Trincao strike and an injury time equaliser from Conor Coady.

Both sides head into this weekend with new look squads, with the three goalscorers all having departed their respective clubs. 

Chelsea head into the game off the back of an impressive 3-0 victory in the UEFA Champions League, beating Italian champions AC Milan. The game saw new signings Wesley Fofana and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang score their first home goals for The Blues. 

Wolves have not scored for over a month, although they have only played two games in that time. Scoring just three Premier League goals from their eight games was the catalyst that led to Bruno Lage's early departure. 

  • Team News

Chelsea

Fofana opened the scoring on Wednesday night, but left Stamford Bridge on crutches. The French defender is expected to miss between four to six weeks of football.

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Edouard Mendy returned to the bench in midweek, but Kepa Arrizabalaga's first clean sheet of the season may see the Spaniard remain between the sticks. 

N'Golo Kante has not featured for Chelsea since their fiery 2-2 draw at home to Tottenham in August. The France midfielder has been sidelined with a hamstring injury but is back in training. 

With an important European trip to Milan on Tuesday night, manager Graham Potter may look to start some fringe players this weekend.

Potter has tinkered between both four and five at the back formations so far, still trying to find the style that suits his side best.

Wolves

Wolves head to London without a manager this weekend. Under 21's coaches Steve Davis and James Collins will take charge of the first team squad on Saturday.

Centre half Nathan Collins will serve the second of a three match suspension after his tackle on Jack Grealish. 

Ruben Neves filled in for Collins at West Ham last week, but a fifth yellow card of the season rules the Wolves' skipper out of the Chelsea clash.

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Toti Gomes is expected to come into the back four, while Max Kilman is likely to captain the side.

Pedro Neto was taken off in the first-half at West Ham with an injury to his ankle ligaments. Wolves have confirmed that Neto will miss the upcoming World Cup in Qatar.  

  • Likely Line-ups

Chelsea

Arrizabalaga; Chalobah, Silva, Koulibaly; James, Jorginho, Kovacic, Chilwell; Mount, Aubameyang, Sterling (3-4-3)

Wolves

Sa; Semedo, Gomes, Kilman, Ait Nouri; Nunes, Moutinho, B. Traore; Podence, Guedes, A. Traore (4-3-3)

  • Key Players

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Aubameyang has had a turbulent few months but looks to be finding a new home in West London. The Gambian international spent just six months in Barcelona before heading back to the Premier League. 

After a debut away in Zagreb, Aubameyang only played once under former Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel. In his three appearances under Graham Potter, Chelsea's number nine has scored twice and got himself an assist.

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With Nathan Collins and Ruben Neves both suspended for Saturday's game, Aubameyang will be hoping to take advantage of Wolves' makeshift back line. 

Gomes is expected to fill in at the back, but the Portuguese centre half has not played a Premier League game since May. The 23-year-old has only played four games in the English top flight in his career.

Potter will be hoping to see his striker lead the line in style, giving Gomes a tough time on his return to Premier League action.

Max Kilman

Saturday is expected to be a big day for Max Kilman. The English defender is expected to captain Wolves for just the second time, after leading his side out against Preston North End in this season's EFL Cup clash.

The ex-Fulham academy prospect returns to West London as the senior centre half in a top flight back line. 

With shouts for an England call up going unanswered, Kilman's focus remains on club football. The World Cup is seemingly out of reach for the Wolves man, with a call up in the run up to Euro 2024 potentially on the cards.

A good performance on Saturday would do Kilman's chances no harm, guiding a relatively inexperienced partner through what will inevitably be a challenging game.  

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  • Match Details

Where is the game being played?

The game is taking place at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge stadium, London.

What time is kick-off?

Kick-off is at 3pm BST, Saturday 8th October 2022.

How can I watch?

The game will not be on live TV in the United Kingdom due to the 3pm Blackout Laws, however, highlights will be available on Sky Sports' YouTube channel and Match of the Day on BBC One on Saturday around 10pm.