Chelsea begin their FIFA Club World Cup journey on Monday against Major League Soccer's LAFC.
Enzo Maresca's side enjoyed a positive season winning the UEFA Conference League for the first time while finishing in the Premier League top four. The Blues have wasted no time this summer trying to improve in the transfer market, bringing in former Ipswich Town forward Liam Delap. He should play a major role this summer as he challenges Nicolas Jackson for the starting job.
Chelsea are favourites to not only defeat LAFC in the opener, but to also top their group and make a deep run in the competition. LAFC qualified at the very last minute by defeating Club América in a play-off after Club Leon were disqualified amid a multi-club ownership violation.
Maresca would relish an opportunity to test themselves against Paris Saint-Germain or Real Madrid if possible, but he'll also take it one game at a time. Teams should take this lucrative summer tournament seriously and the deeper we get into the competition, lineups should look more and more full strength.
Here's how Chelsea could line up against LAFC on Monday.
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