Christian Pulisic and the five other Chelsea players guaranteed to start next season

 

Chelsea may have a summer of change ahead of them with Eden Hazard set to depart and Maurizio Sarri looking closer to a move to Juventus than ever before. The club's transfer ban means that a lot of the faces in the Chelsea dressing room will remain the same however.
As yet, the club have not submitted their appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to try to get the two-window ban thrown out or at least freeze it while the appeals process takes place.
That means that loanees might be the key to bring into the squad, but some of the first team players will be looking to keep their place in the side.
But who should still be guaranteed a starting spot when the 2019/20 Premier League season gets under way on the weekend of August 9-12?


Kepa Arrizabalaga

 

There is no doubt that Kepa is the number one goalkeeper for some time and he will be feeling pretty good after a decent debut campaign for the Blues.
Of course, the bad moment that stands out is the Carabao Cup final where he refused to be substituted in the dying moments of the match.
But he has proven himself on several occasions this season and it is exciting to see how much better he can be over his time with the Blues.

David Luiz

 

The Brazilian won his place back in the starting XI under Sarri having been very out of favour with Antonio Conte at the helm.
The 32-year-old has also committed his future with the Blues after signing a new two-year deal with the club, with Chelsea breaking their usual over-30s policy of only giving one-year extension.
Experience will be key next season, because if the transfer ban is implemented then there are going to be a few youngsters in the mix as well.

Cesar Azpilicueta

 

It is likely with Gary Cahill heading out the door that Cesar Azpilicueta will be named the new club captain and in December he extended his deal until the 2022 season.
The Spaniard is likely to be under pressure for his role, with Davide Zappacosta likely to move on but Reece James getting his chance during the summer.
However, a new manager would likely go for experience to help steady the ship when they are making their first impressions.

Andreas Christensen

 

With the injury to Antonio Rudiger to start the 2019/20 campaign, it means that Andreas Christensen should get another chance to get a run in the team.
The 23-year-old spent most of the 18/19 season playing in the Europa League and only got his chances in the Premier League when the German picked up his serious knee injury.
Christensen is still seen as the future at the heart of the defence, and with Rudiger out for the start then Christensen is going to have to fill the gap and try to keep the place long-term.

N'Golo Kante

 

Of course it's another summer and transfer window which means that N'Golo Kante being linked to PSG will probably happen about ten times.
But the Blues have no interest in letting him go and the France World Cup winner seems settled in west London.
The 28-year-old remains the key member of the starting XI and crucial to whatever the Chelsea boss at the time wants to do throughout the campaign.

Christian Pulisic

 

With Eden Hazard heading out the door to Real Madrid, Chelsea are going to need someone to step up to that plate and provide the assists and goals that are needed.
The Belgian's move seems set in stone now, with a move expected next week after prolonged negotiations meant a deal could not be finalised before Hazard joined up with the national team.
Chelsea will be hoping the new signing, Christian Pulisic, will be the man to fill that void with the American finally joining the Blues after his loan spell back with Borussia Dortmund.
That is a lot of pressure on the 20-year-old, however he is going to need to be one of the key members of the starting XI.