Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Chelsea vs Liverpool – Team News: Garnacho starts; James in midfield

Originally posted on Chelsea News | Last updated Oct 4, 2025 11:31 AM ET

Chelsea face Liverpool at Stamford Bridge in just over an hour, and the teams are in!

Enzo Maresca has a lot of injuries, and we had question marks through the whole team about who he might pick.

In the end, it’s a typically conservative Maresca selection.

Robert Sanchez plays in goal. Reece James is not at right back. It’s Malo Gusto on that flank, with Marc Cucurella on the other side. The central defensive partnership was something we were really curious about, given Trevoh Chalobah is suspended and there are so many injuries.

In the end, Maresca has paired the recently returned Benoit Badiashile with the youngster Josh Acheampong in the middle, eschewing the use of Jorrel Hato which we saw a week ago.

Ahead of them, James is in the team in midfield, alongside Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caiecedo.

There were high hopes that today would be the day we see Estevao Willian start a big game at the Bridge. But Maresca has gone for summer signing Alejandro Garnacho instead.

Pedro Neto is on the other flank and Joao Pedro leads the line.

Here are the full team line-ups for Chelsea vs Liverpool (kick off at 17:30 GMT)

CHELSEA:

Chelsea down to bare bones

The James in midfield tactic is not one we love, but given the injuries at the moment we can understand why Maresca has gone for it. It allows him plenty of tactical flexibility later in the game too, depending which way things are going.

It’s a shame to have Estevao on the bench, but we should at least get to see him make an impact in the second half. It’s a huge moment for Garnacho, who gets his first start in a “first team” Chelsea lineup. We hope he can find some instant chemistry with Joao Pedro and Pedro Neto.

This article first appeared on Chelsea News and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: