Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has named Jordan Henderson in the starting lineup for their Premier League match against Brentford, marking the midfielder's first start for the club in the league. Henderson will face his former side, Brentford, in the west London derby.
In other team news for Chelsea, Valentin Barco will replace Reece James in the midfield, and Danny Welbeck is set to start up front in place of the injured Joao Pedro. Maxence Lacroix and Pep Chavarría have also been included in the starting XI.
Brentford manager Ivan Toney has made two changes to his squad. Michael Kayode returns at right-back, replacing Aaron Hickey. Surprisingly, Mamadou Sangare has been dropped in favor of Mikkel Damsgaard.
The match is particularly significant as both Chelsea and Brentford are closely positioned in the Premier League table, sitting just one point apart. A victory for either team would see them climb into the top four.
The Premier League is heading into an extended three-week international break following this weekend's fixtures, making this round of matches the last until the break concludes.