Chelsea predicted XI vs Fulham: Alonso era begins with big calls and formation switch
The Xabi Alonso era begins in earnest on Monday evening as Chelsea get their 2026-27 campaign underway with a trip to West London rivals Fulham.
Here’s the overview of how we’re expecting Chelsea to line up at Craven Cottage on Monday evening.
The big question going into the new season is how Alonso, back in the Premier League for the first time since leaving Liverpool as a player 17 years ago, will have the Blues lining up.
Alonso had used a wingback system to great success at Bayer Leverkusen, leading them to a double with an unbeaten domestic season, but he adapted his approach at Real Madrid.
The Basque coach has said that he’ll be flexible with his tactics, but pre-season has suggested that he’ll lean back heavily into the back three approach that paid such dividends during his time in Germany. Chelsea alternated between a 3-4-2-1 system and a 3-4-3 in the summer friendlies – arguably the same overarching idea with minor tweaks in positioning and personnel.
Chelsea’s best performance of pre-season came in a dominant 3-0 victory over Ruben Amorim’s AC Milan, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see some approximation of that line-up for the first competitive match of Alonso’s reign.
Robert Sanchez has had his fair share of criticism over the years, and there’s been ongoing speculation over whether Chelsea will sign a replacement, but it appears as though he has Alonso’s faith and will remain the first-choice keeper.
From there, Reece James is the obvious choice at right wingback. He played in that role in exemplary fashion when Chelsea won the Champions League under Thomas Tuchel, and you’d imagine he’ll be relishing a return to a system that accentuates his major strengths.
The club captain has had an extended break following England’s deep run at the World Cup. He might need a bit more time to get up to speed, but we’d still expect him to feature here ahead of Pedro Neto, who started in that role against Milan.
There’s a bit of a pot luck element to the centre-backs, where Alonso is blessed with plenty of options and a clean bill of health, although Wesley Fofana’s suspension carried over from last season sharpens the focus somewhat.
Summer signing Maxence Lacroix looks likely to feature at the heart of the back three, with Jorell Hato and Levi Colwill flanking him. Josh Acheampong may feature off the bench.
Marco Palestra, signed from Atalanta, produced an excellent performance against Milan and appears set to nail down the left wingback position following the departure of World Cup winner Marc Cucurella.
Further forward, Moises Caicedo will surely be among the first names on Alonso’s teamsheet and is surely a key cog for the project taking shape. The Ecuadorian has a claim to be the best defensive midfielder in the Premier League following the departure of Rodri, and he now has the requisite experience to be a leader of this squad.
Alongside him, there are question marks over Enzo Fernandez’s future, but as long as the Argentinian is part of Alonso’s squad we’d expect him to feature. Jordan Henderson is still recovering from the slapstick wrist injury he suffered at the World Cup and probably isn’t a realistic option to start games regardless, but Romeo Lavia could be an important player this season.
In attack, we expect to see Joao Pedro spearhead the attack after taking on Chelsea’s cursed No.9 shirt. The Brazilian has just signed a contract extension and will be extra motivated to prove a point after his controversial omission from Carlo Ancelotti’s World Cup squad.
There is the option to play Pedro in a more supporting role, with new addition Danny Welbeck as the focal point, but we expect to see the veteran striker used off the bench. Boyhood pals Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers ought to feature in supporting roles.
Chelsea predicted lineup vs Fulham:
GK: Robert Sanchez
RWB: Reece James
CB: Jorell Hato
CB: Levi Colwill
CB: Maxence Lacroix
LWB: Marco Palestra
CM: Moises Caicedo
CM: Enzo Fernandez
RW: Cole Palmer
ST: Joao Pedro
LW: Morgan Rogers
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