According to Football London, Chelsea will host Bournemouth in the Premier League, and Xabi Alonso is likely to make adjustments to the starting lineup, with Caicedo expected to make his return.

Xabi Alonso is looking to make some changes to Chelsea's lineup for this weekend's match against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge. However, much depends on whether several key players can recover from injury in time.

Palácer and Caicedo have both been sidelined for almost the entire season. The former has yet to feature, while the latter has only appeared once as a substitute before suffering a recurring calf injury.

Reece James missed England's recent international break due to a hamstring issue. Palmer withdrew from the England squad with a muscle injury, and João Félix also withdrew from Brazil's squad due to a knee problem.

Since Alonso arrived at the club, Chelsea's injury information has been difficult to pin down. In this regard, Alonso is similar to his former colleague, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, who is also very cautious about disclosing Arsenal players' injury status.

Regardless, Alonso hopes to make some adjustments to the team when Bournemouth visit Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Damián Martínez will return to training on Friday, his first session since returning from Argentina. For some players, the long travel and insufficient preparation time could affect their availability for Saturday's match, but this is less of a concern for a goalkeeper.

Alonso likes to keep his lineup a secret, but this article assumes he will opt for a 3-4-3 formation. If so, the expected defense would comprise Lacroix, Colwill, and one other player.

As for who the third defender will be, that depends on his specific choices. Wesley Fofana has had an inconsistent start to the season, while academy product Achampong has impressed on the right side of the three-man defense. Given Chelsea's defensive issues in the away match against Brentford, where Fofana was deployed on the right, Achampong could get a start.

Pedro Neto could continue in the right wing-back position. The match at Stamford Bridge suits the Portuguese international better, as he returned to training on Wednesday.

On the left side, Alonso could hand Palácer his official Chelsea debut. Palácer has missed all matches this season due to a quadriceps injury but is nearing a return. This could mean Chukwuemeka would have to settle for a place on the bench.

Lavia impressed for Belgium during the recent international break, and if Alonso doesn't think the 22-year-old needs rest, he could replace Valentín Barco in the starting lineup. The most pressing question for Chelsea fans is whether Caicedo will be fit in time.

Caicedo was nearly ready before the international break ahead of the Brentford match and has had an additional three weeks to recover, suggesting he will feature. Alonso could provide a definitive answer at Friday's press conference, if he is willing to share team information.

This article assumes Caicedo has recovered sufficiently for his first start of the season, replacing Henderson. That said, the 24-year-old should not be expected to play a full 90 minutes.

The attack is harder to predict. João Félix was not seen in the club's training photos this week and is still recovering from a knee injury. If he is not at 100%, Alonso will likely avoid risking him.

Welbeck could continue as the center forward, with the 35-year-old chasing his first Premier League goal in a Chelsea shirt. Morgan Rogers is expected to start on the left wing, with Estêvão potentially on the opposite flank.

The extent of Palmer's muscle injury remains unclear, but Alonso has Estêvão as an option on the right. If Palmer is not at 100%, Alonso may decide it's not worth the risk; even if available, Palmer could start on the bench.

Chelsea's predicted starting XI (3-4-3): Damián Martínez; Achampong, Lacroix, Colwill; Pedro Neto, Caicedo, Lavia, Palácer; Estêvão, Rogers, Welbeck

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