Following its disappointing 2-1 loss away to Aston Villa on the final day of the Premier League season, Chelsea F.C will travel to the Estádio do Dragão (Dragon Stadium) in Portugal as it plays Manchester City F.C in the UEFA Champions League Final. Much has been made of Tuchel’s remarkable Blues’ turnaround, but there still remains one question for the German head coach to answer on Saturday; who makes his starting eleven?

The Stalwarts

As the title suggests, ‘the stalwarts’ are the players who I can confidently predict Tuchel will start in the final. ‘Apps’ will refer to the appearances each player has made, whereas the number in brackets will indicate appearances made as a substitute in this seasons Champions League competition. The players grouped in this category are as followed:

Goalkeeper (GK) – Edouard Mendy

Apps – 11

‘Big Edu’ pretty much picks himself for this game as he currently leads the charts as the goalkeeper who has kept the most clean sheets in this years edition of the tournament (8). Perhaps Kepa Arrizabalaga may have a role to play off the bench, if the game goes to a penalty shootout, but in terms of who is starting between the sticks, it is undoubtedly going to be Mendy.

Centre-Back (CB) – Thiago Silva

Apps – 6(1)

Following the signing of Thiago Silva on a free transfer in the summer transfer window, some fans speculated whether the Brazilian centre-back would serve as a ‘stop gap’ at the position. He quickly silenced his critics, as he played his way into the starting lineup and has been a mainstay at the centre of the back three since Tuchel’s arrival. He will hope to inspire his team to victory at the second time of asking in the Champions League Final, following last seasons disappointing loss to FC Bayern Munich, while playing for Paris Saint Germain F.C (PSG).

Right Centre-Back (RCB) – Antonio Rüdiger

Apps – 9(1)

What a turnaround it has been for, ‘Rudi’ (as the fans most commonly refer to him as), as the German defender has been a revelation for the Blues this season. He’s shown to be a liability in the past due to his unorthodox style of defending at times, but he’s gone from villain to hero this season for the Blues, and has made the right centre-back position his own in the process.

Left Wing-Back (LWB) – Benjamin ‘Ben’ Chillwell

Apps – 8(1)

Some fans questioned why the Blues paid a reported £45 million for the English left-back following mixed performances for Leicester City F.C last season. However, ‘Chilly B’ as he is more commonly known, has made that price look an absolute bargain this season. It took some time for him to adjust to the left wing-back role once Tuchel arrived, but he has made the required adjustments and will start Saturday’s final.

Left Centre-Midfielder (LCM) – Mason Mount

Apps – 8(2)

It is easy to forget that Mount is just 22 years old because he has the technical nuance of a midfielder who has played the game for many years. Chelsea’s Men’s Player of the Year this season will be one of the first names on the team sheet, and I’ll go on record to say there’s no chance ‘Money Mase’ or ‘Mr. Chelsea’ will be benched.

Right Centre Midfielder (RCM) – N’Golo Kanté

Apps – 6(6)

While he is respected in football circles due to his humble nature off the field, the French midfielder is anything but, on it. Twice named man of the match in the semi-final against Real Madrid, the World Cup winner will look to thwart out any Manchester City attacks, and add to his ever-growing list of accolades in football.

Centre-Forward/Striker (CF/ST) – Timo Werner

Apps – 9(2)

Though it pains me to do it, including Timo Werner amongst ‘the stalwarts’ is a decision I had to make based on Tuchel’s propensity to call on the German striker when he has needed to get a result. The £47.5 million summer window signing has been a shadow of the player he was last season, but he has started the last two games which Tuchel referred to as “finals” and I expect he will do the same on Saturday. If there was ever a time for ‘Turbo Timo’ to step up, it would be now, as all will be forgiven with a strong showing.

Positions Tuchel Will Need to Address

Left Centre-Back (LCB) – Andreas Christensen/César Azpilicueta

Apps – 6/10

It’s never easy to account for injury, especially when major European silverware is at stake, however, Christensen, who hasn’t played since May 8th, is who Tuchel should start at left centre-back for the Blues. If there is any indication that the Danish centre-back can play a full ninety minutes, he simply has to start. He will provide the team with the solidity and veteran prowess it needs to get over the line. This isn’t a knock to Azpilicueta, however, as you will come to see in my next position for Tuchel to address.

Right Wing-Back (RWB) – César Azpilicueta/Reece James

Apps – 10/5(4)

Tuchel is constantly considering ways to limit the oppositions best threat, as evidenced by him starting Reece James at left centre-back to negate Leicester City F.C’s striker, Jamie Vardy. I believe he will consider a similar approach to negating Manchester City, left-winger, Phil Foden, by starting Azpilicueta at right wing-back. The Chelsea captain will be tasked with knowing when to push forward and when to stay back in order to deal with the tricky English winger, and he will just edge out Reece James for that reason. Of course, this is assuming Christensen is fit enough to start at left centre-back, if he is not, Tuchel will most likely call on Azpilicueta to play there and play Reece James at right wing-back.

Centre-Midfielder (CM) – Jorginho/Mateo Kovačić

Apps – 11/7(2)

I was temped to put Jorginho in ‘the stalwarts’ category, however, that would be a disservice to Kovačić who can also put in an admirable shift at the position. The Italian midfielder has been in poor form, but, I believe Tuchel will continue to trust him to turn his fortunes around in the final. This one is truly a coin-flip, but I trust Tuchel will put his faith in the man who started both legs against Real Madrid and also played a pivotal rule in getting Chelsea to their third-ever Champions League Final appearance. For that reason, Jorginho just edges out the Croatian midfielder.

Centre-Forward/Striker (CF/ST) – Kai Havertz/Christian Pulisic

Apps – 8(3)/4(5)

Choosing the second centre=forward to play alongside Timo Werner will probably be one of the harder decisions Tuchel has to make. Havertz came in with a price tag of £71 million (with add-ons), however, he has not yet lived up to the exorbitant billing. It was no fault of his own, as he battled nagging injuries and a bout of Covid-19, but the fans have seen glimpses of the elegance and potency that made the German international the most sought after prize in last summers transfer window, and they’ll hope to see that again in the final. Further justification for Havertz inclusion is his clear advantage to the American as an aerial threat. This is not to say Pulisic won’t have an impact on the proceedings, he will still have a massive role to play in the encounter, albeit off the bench. Tuchel will hope he can create havoc to Manchester City’s defenders tired legs in the second half, as he did against Real Madrid in the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals.

Predicted Starting XI

Chelsea come into this final as the clear underdogs, but it is a label both the team and Tuchel will embrace. The Blues’ have arrived here before in 2012 with less and were able to get over the line (albeit with some divine intervention). Tuchel also has unfinished business to attend to, as he was a losing finalist in last season’s competition. This may be the spark that Chelsea needs to enter the history books as the only club to win all three main European club competitions (UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, Cup Winners Cup) twice. If Chelsea’s players are clinical enough and Tuchel can correctly address the current positions of uncertainty, the team will have every opportunity to better Manchester City in Portugal. Let’s hope both will get it right on Saturday.