"They’ll have too much" - Mark Lawrenson makes prediction for Chelsea vs Bournemouth clash

Former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson has shared his prediction for Chelsea's Premier League clash against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on December 27.

The Blues have struggled this season in the English top flight. They are eighth in the table, 16 points behind leaders Arsenal. Graham Potter's side are winless in their previous five matches, having lost their previous three.

Chelsea will be without key players such as Wesley Fofana, Armando Broja and N'Golo Kante for the game.

Bournemouth, meanwhile, are 14th in the table, five points behind Chelsea, having played one more game. They won their previous league game 3-0 against Everton at home before the FIFA World Cup break.

Despite their poor form, Lawrenson believes the Blues will comfortably beat the Cherries on Tuesday. In his column for Paddy Power, he wrote:

"Gary O’Neil’s been made permanent Bournemouth manager now but I think this will be a straightforward 2-0 win for Chelsea. I know they’re a bit light with injuries but they’ll have too much for Bournemouth."

Both sides have had managerial issues this season. The west London side sacked Thomas Tuchel following a 1-0 defeat against Dinamo Zagreb in the UEFA Champions League. They appointed Potter as his replacement.

Bournemouth, meanwhile, sacked Scott Parker after their 9-0 hammering against Liverpool. Gary O'Neil took charge as interim manager and was promoted to manager following good performances.

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Chelsea manager Graham Potter on players returning from 2022 FIFA World Cup

In an unprecedented season, club football paused to make way for the FIFA World Cup. Following the tournament's final on December 18, many players have returned to their respective clubs while some are on a break.

Speaking about Chelsea players who played in the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Potter said:

"We’ve given all the guys who were at the World Cup some time off. They’ve had a bit of a holiday, and a bit of time with their families. It’s not so easy to get the balance right, we’re all learning because it’s never happened before, so we don’t know how that’s going to go."

He added:

"You have to constantly evaluate the players because you might get two or three months down the line and think you have to do something just to refresh, because we don’t know what the effects of a World Cup will be long term. Now we’re confident with the guys and where they are. We can work and prepare normally for the games."

Potter will hope to get their squad back soon with the club already dealing with multiple injuries.