Chelsea fans have enjoyed plenty of defeats this season, but they will no doubt be satisfied with the more prolific victories over Bournemouth on Tuesday evening.
The Blues enter their next confrontation with Bournemouth without a win in four matches in the English Premier League. 5-0 win over English Premier League rivals The weekend ensured some smiles were back on faces after a difficult fortnight, but frowns will appear once again if their winless run in the league against the Cherries is extended.
Tinkerman Maresca was heavily rotated for the visit of Morecambe at the weekend, with wholesale changes expected again despite the relief of Chelsea's win.
Here's how the Blues could line up.
Goalkeeper: Robert Sanchez – It will take more than a clean sheet against Morecambe for Filip Jorgensen to displace Sanchez as Chelsea's number one player.
RB: He doesn't want – Reece James returned to the starting lineup on Saturday and is in contention for a midweek appearance. However, Maresca will have to be careful with his captain given his injury problems.
Centre-back: Tosin Adarabioyo – The towering midfielder enjoyed himself at the weekend, scoring an incredibly rare brace. Bosman's arrival has proven to be a good addition to Chelsea's squad, and he has replaced Wesley Fofana brilliantly over the past month.
Centre-back: Levi Colwell – Only three Chelsea players have had more minutes played than Colwell (1,709) this season, with the centre-back exclusively starting Premier League matches.
LB: Mark Cucurella – Renato Vega has never posed a threat to Cucurella, but his arrival in the summer looks set to see a quick departure regardless. The Spaniard is one of Maresca's favourites.
CM: Moises Caicedo – Caicedo is the most commonly used Chelsea Player of the season, his importance to the Blues became clear in year two. He scored from the halfway line in this match to conclude the 2023-24 season.
Midfielder: Enzo Fernandez – It won't be long until Maresca brings the Caicedo x Lafia axis back to the Premier League, with the latter recently returning from another injury setback. Like James, the midfielder's return will be facilitated and Fernandes will start alongside Caicedo on Tuesday.
RM: Pedro Neto – There will not be many who will keep their place after Saturday's win, but Neto could suffer along with Noni Madueke due to illness.
AM: Cole Palmer – Palmer took advantage of the size of the Chelsea squad, with Maresca retaining his genius in this contest. The England playmaker has scored 19 goals in 20 appearances this season and has continued to produce amid the Blues' recent decline.
LM: Jadon Sancho – Sancho has emerged as Maresca's preferred option on the left flank, but it will take a slight increase in production to win over another demanding fanbase. The winger has eight goal contributions this season.
ST: Nicholas Jackson – The Chelsea striker has been out of form over the past month and is desperate for a goal. Maresca probably should have given him some minutes on the weekend, but instead he heads into Tuesday's game refreshed (and goals shy).
