Aston Villa vs. Chelsea: Team News, Live Stream, TV Info, Ticket News
With just eight games remaining to the end of the season, Chelsea interim manager Guus Hiddink says it is now time for experimentation with his squad.
The Blues are safe in midtable in the Premier League, with the points distance between them and the top looking insurmountable, meaning their hopes of qualifying for next season's UEFA Champions League are all but extinguished.
With that in mind, we could see Alexandre Pato finally make his Chelsea debut when the Blues travel to relegation-threatened Aston Villa on Saturday.
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"Will he be actively involved? We will see [on Saturday]," Hiddink said at his pre-match press conference when asked about Pato's involvement. "We have now eight games coming up, but there isn't much to play for so it might be time for experiments.
"[Pato] has worked very hard in the international break. I have tried to make fair judgement and give others knocking on the door—like [Bertrand] Traore—fair opportunity as well.
"I don't give any player guarantees, but there is room to experiment."
Hiddink's stance could also mean Ruben Loftus-Cheek gets an opportunity at Villa Park. The youngster came off the bench to win the penalty that salvaged a 2-2 draw with West Ham United a fortnight ago and is among the many names the Dutchman describes as waiting for their chance.
Injuries and suspensions could also force the manager's hand, with Eden Hazard still struggling with a hip injury and Diego Costa also out.
"I will talk to the medical staff again, but Hazard is not available for now," Hiddink added. "He is on the pitch, but with the physios; he is outside the group.
"Costa is suspended, but he trained very well the past week, he was very ambitious and enjoyed working. He is not injured any more."
Villa parted ways with Remi Garde this week, leaving Eric Black in temporary charge of the team. Hiddink feels it could be a problem for Chelsea, with a revitalised side ready for one last push to avoid relegation.
"When there is a change, there is automatically a reaction," Hiddink said. "We can expect an entertaining game."
Match Details
Date: Saturday, April 2
Time: 12.45 p.m. BST/7.45 a.m. ET
Venue: Villa Park, Birmingham
TV Info: BT Sport 1 (UK only)/NBC Sports (U.S. only)
Live Stream: BT Sport app/NBCSN (U.S. only)
Last 5 Games
| Feb. 27 | Stoke City 2-1 Aston Villa |
| Mar. 1 | Aston Villa 1-3 Everton |
| Mar. 5 | Manchester City 4-0 Aston Villa |
| Mar. 13 | Aston Villa 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur |
| Mar. 19 | Swansea City 1-0 Aston Villa |
| Mar. 1 | Norwich City 1-2 Chelsea |
| Mar. 5 | Chelsea 1-1 Stoke City |
| Mar. 9 | Chelsea 1-2 Paris Saint-Germain |
| Mar. 12 | Everton 2-0 Chelsea |
| Mar. 19 | Chelsea 2-2 West Ham United |
Predicted Lineups
Costa remains unavailable for Chelsea as he serves his suspension after being sent off against Everton in the FA Cup quarter-final tie. The Football Association announced on Friday that the striker's ban has been extended to three games, meaning he will also miss the trip to Swansea City on April 9.
Hazard will also be absent against Aston Villa as he continues his rehabilitation for a hip injury.
As for Villa, Micah Richards, Adama Traore and Jack Grealish are all doubts, but Libor Kozak and Jordan Amavi are definitely out.
Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Guzan; Hutton, Lescott, Clarke, Cissokho; Westwood, Gueye; Gil, Veretout, Ayew; Gestede.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Mikel, Fabregas; Willian, Loftus-Cheek, Pedro; Pato.
Key Players
Idrissa Gueye
It's said so often about a struggling defence that if the players in front of them aren't doing a sufficient job at shielding the back line, they're always going to be exposed and prone to conceding.
Villa have failed across the board this season, with their defensive record speaking volumes for where the problems lie for this side. If they're to prevent Chelsea doing what most teams have at Villa Park in 2015/16, then Gueye needs to put in a convincing display.
In defensive midfield, it's his job to break up play and get Villa moving in the right direction. That hasn't always happened this season and with the likes of Pedro, Willian, and Oscar in the Chelsea squad, failure to stop the Blues' forward movement will only end in disaster.
Chelsea have players who can punish teams if given time and space, so Gueye must ensure that's not the case on Saturday.
Villa have been woeful at the back this season, so the expectation is that Chelsea will be feeling confident they can cause some damage in the final third. Without Costa leading the line, it means Cesc Fabregas will be even more vital going forward.
Not only has Fabregas rediscovered something resembling his best form of late, he's also crucial in linking the defence and attack for Chelsea. Everything runs through him in midfield, so Hiddink will be hoping for another starring role from the Spaniard.
The 28-year-old will look to set Chelsea's striker free at Villa Park, but without Costa's presence, he'll need to bring others around him into play much more. That means getting the ball wide to the likes of Willian, allowing those in attacking midfield to dominate.
The key will be Chelsea attacking quick and in numbers. To maintain an effective tempo, it's all about Fabregas.
Ticket Information
For ticket information on all Premier League games, visit the official site or go to the ticket page on Aston Villa's official website. Secondary ticket information for Aston Villa can be found here.
Prediction
Aston Villa 1-3 Chelsea
Odds
Home Win: 523-100
Away Win: 25-52
Draw: 81-25
First Goalscorer: Alexandre Pato (17-4)
Odds via Odds Shark and Oddschecker
Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes
