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Brentford vs. Chelsea lineups: Predicted starting XI, team news, injury latest with Palmer, Garnacho doubts

Chelsea make the short trip across West London to take on Brentford in the late kickoff on Saturday as the Premier League returns to action after the first international break of the season.

This is the fourth consecutive London derby that Chelsea will play to kick off their season, and familiar surroundings have served them well, as they have yet to taste defeat in 2025/26.

The unbeaten start sees the Blues in second spot in the league table heading into this weekend, and they will be looking to add another win to their tally when they visit the home of the Bees.

Meanwhile, Brentford will be out to find some consistency, having lost two out of their first three games in the Premier League this term.

The home side are undergoing a period of change, having lost their manager and a number of key players during the summer transfer window.

The Bees have never beaten Chelsea at the Gtech Community Stadium and will be looking to break that duck on Saturday.

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Brentford vs. Chelsea lineups: Predicted starting XI, team news, injury latest

Brentford lost Yoane Wissa to Newcastle United on deadline day but managed to add Reiss Nelson to their ranks from Arsenal. The home crowd will hope he can get up to full fitness quickly, after playing no competitive minutes for the Gunners in August.

Meanwhile, Igor Thiago already has three goals this season and will be the one to lead the attack for the hosts.

In midfield, Vitaly Janelt missed Bosnia-Herzegovina duty with a foot injury last week, but he has returned to training and could feature in some capacity for the home side. Gustavo Nunes is the only long-term absentee for Keith Andrews' team with a hamstring injury.

From a tactical standpoint, Brentford will need to be resolute and disciplined in defence to keep a potent Chelsea attack at bay. While Chelsea will be expected to take the game to the home side, the Bees will try to stay in the game for as long as possible and hope that the likes of Dango Outtara and Thiago can conjure up something going forward.

Brentford predicted starting XI (4-3-3, right to left): Kelleher (GK) — Kayode, Collins, Van den Berg, Lewis-Potter — Yarmolyuk, Henderson, Damsgaard — Outtara, Igor Thiago, Schade

Injured: Gustavo Nunes (hamstring), Janelt (foot, doubt)
Suspended: None

From a Chelsea point of view, all eyes will be on their talisman, Cole Palmer, who missed their previous two games with a groin injury he suffered before the 5-1 win at West Ham United. He remains doubtful ahead of this short trip across London.

The same can be said for Romeo Lavia and Benoit Badiashile, and Maresca said at the end of last month that both will be close to returning to the fold after the international break.

In attack, Maresca will be without Liam Delap, who sustained a hamstring injury in the game against Fulham and is expected to be out for around 10 to 12 weeks. In his absence, there could be a league debut for Marc Guiu, who was recalled from his loan spell at Sunderland towards the end of the transfer window.

Finally, there could also be a Chelsea debut for new signing Alejandro Garnacho, who sealed his move from Manchester United before the transfer window shut. Maresca did warn that the winger is short of fitness, though.

Chelsea predicted starting XI ( 4-2-3-1, right to left): Sanchez (GK) — Gusto, Adarabioyo, Chalobah, Cucurella — Caicedo, Fernandez — Estevao, Neto, Gittens — Joao Pedro

Injured: Colwill (ACL), Badiashille (knock), Palmer (groin), Lavia (muscle), Essugo (thigh), Delap (hamstring)
Suspended: Mudryk (doping violation)