Fulham and Chelsea Lineups

Fulham and Chelsea are set to clash at Craven Cottage in a London derby that will conclude the opening weekend of the new Premier League season. Both clubs are embarking on new eras, having recently appointed new managers. The Cottagers parted ways with Marco Silva, who had a successful five-year tenure at Fulham. His replacement is Alvaro Arbeloa, looking to prove himself after a less-than-stellar few months at the helm of Real Madrid. Interestingly, Arbeloa took over from Xabi Alonso at the Santiago Bernabéu, with Alonso now managing Chelsea. The two were also teammates at Liverpool and Real Madrid.

The Blues have once again brought in almost an entirely new squad, exceeding £300 million in new player acquisitions. Expectations are high for Alonso to finally translate these significant investments into a strong Premier League finish.

Chelsea has won six of their last eight visits to Craven Cottage, but they lost their previous encounter there 2-1.

New signings Gonzalo Garcia and César Palacios, both acquired from Real Madrid, are set to make their debuts for Fulham.

Morgan Rogers and Maxence Lacroix are making their official debuts for Chelsea. Enzo Fernandez, who has been linked with a move to Manchester City, starts on the bench. Moises Caicedo is not in the squad at all. This means the central midfield pairing will be Romeo Lavia and Reece James. Marco Palestra, who impressed during pre-season, is also absent from the squad. Instead, Jorell Hato starts at left wing-back. The attack is led by João Gomes, with Cole Palmer on the right. Morgan Rogers occupies the left flank of the attack.