Chelsea will be without top-scorer Diego Costa for their game against Arsenal this afternoon, the Spanish international has been unable to recover from a hamstring injury that has kept him out for the past three weeks.
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Jose Mourinho has therefore surprisingly elected to go without a recognised striker for the occasion with Arsenal tormentor in Chief, Didier Drogba, starting the match on the bench whilst Loic Remy is still injured.
Cesc Fabregas is also in the starting XI on his first return to the Emirates since his 2011 move from north London to Barcelona and it’s yet to be seen what kind of reception he’ll get from the Emirates faithful.
Chelsea team to play Arsenal: Courtois, Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry (c), Azpilicueta, Matic, Fabregas, Ramires, Oscar, Willian, Hazard. #CFC
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 26, 2015
Chelsea substitutes v Arsenal: Cech, Filipe Luis, Zouma, Mikel, Loftus-Cheek, Cuadrado, Drogba. #CFC
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 26, 2015
For Arsenal, Per Mertesacker has recovered in time for this fixture, the German picked up an ankle knock in the FA Cup semi-final win against Reading last weekend.
Meanwhile lynchpin Olivier Giroud returns to the starting fold whilst Danny Welbeck is consigned to the bench. Nacho Monreal, David Ospina and Hector Bellerin all come in to the Arsenal XI.
.@Arsenal team to play Chelsea: Ospina, Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Cazorla, Ramsey, Ozil, Alexis, Giroud #AFCvCFC
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) April 26, 2015
.@Arsenal subs: Szczesny, Debuchy, Gibbs, Wilshere, Walcott, Flamini, Welbeck #AFCvCFC
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) April 26, 2015
Arsene Wenger is looking for his first victory over Jose Mourinho today with 12 failed attempts so far in his career, can he do it with this side?
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