Chelsea line-ups for Everton as new star misses out and Jordan Henderson disagreement reached

Xabi Alonso appears to have settled on his strongest Chelsea starting lineup after chopping and changing a few personnel in the opening weeks of the Premier League season.

Xabi Alonso could make a couple of interesting tweaks to the starting lineup when Chelsea face Everton. The Blues will hope to climb into the top four of the Premier League when they lock horns with David Moyes' side at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday afternoon, with only goal difference separating the two clubs.

Chelsea returned to winning ways last weekend, cruising past Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge. Jordan Henderson fired the Blues to an emphatic 5-1 victory, staking an incredibly strong claim for another start in the middle of the park.

Alonso's side had a bit of a hiccup before the international break, dropping points to Arsenal, Hull City, and Brentford. But the Chelsea manager put the three weeks on the grass at Cobham to good use, breaking into the top six of the table.

As for the Toffees, they're one of three teams to remain unbeaten in the Premier League this season. That said, however, they've only won two of their six games and scored just eight goals.

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Jake Stokes

Xabi Alonso could make just one change to the Chelsea starting lineup this weekend. The Blues boss appears to have settled on his strongest side, so he won't want to rock the boat too much, but a subtle tweak to the backline could go a long way.

Pep Chavarria has been superb for Chelsea this season, winning plenty of duels and bombing forward, but Marco Palestra could be a potential option to help counter Everton's physicality. The Blues defender was one of the first names on the teamsheet in pre-season, having made an excellent impression on both the right and left.

Pedro Neto has relished his duties at wing-back, making it very difficult for his manager to drop him. Together, he and Palestra could strike a nice balance in and out of possession.

The only problem would be whether Palestra can hit the ground running after spending some time on the sidelines nursing an injury. In the middle of the park, Romeo Lavia would ordinarily, and probably should, start alongside Moises Caicedo, but Jordan Henderson was superb last weekend.

By now, it goes without saying that Morgan Rogers, Cole Palmer, and Joao Pedro should lead the frontline. It would be nice to see Estevao Willian feature in some capacity, perhaps around the hour mark if things aren't working out, as well as Geovany Quenda.

Jake's starting lineup to face Everton: Emi Martinez; Levi Colwill, Maxence Lacroix, Josh Acheampong; Marco Palestra, Jordan Henderson, Moises Caicedo, Pedro Neto; Morgan Rogers, Cole Palmer; Joao Pedro.

Matt Maltby

With such a strong squad, Xabi Alonso needs to use it wisely - and the clash with Everton is a perfect opportunity to do so.

You can't mess around with the front three, so Estevao is going to struggle for regular minutes this season - unless one of them picks up an injury.

Jordan Henderson impressed in the win over Bournemouth, but I'd rest him this weekend and give Romeo Lavia a chance alongside Moises Caicedo.

Marco Palestra should hopefully be fit enough to start too, ahead of Pep Chavarria and Jorrel Hato would get my selection in place of the impressive Josh Acheampong.

With Chelsea having the momentum following last weekend's thumping win, there's no harm in giving other players a chance to prove their worth.

Matt's starting lineup to face Everton: Emi Martinez; Levi Colwill, Maxence Lacroix, Jorrel Hato; Marco Palestra, Romeo Lavia, Moises Caicedo, Pedro Neto; Morgan Rogers, Cole Palmer; Joao Pedro.