Graham Potter has made six changes to his Chelsea XI for Saturday's fixture with Southampton, including handing a first Premier League start to David Datro Fofana.
Amid reports on Friday that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had again been left out of the squad, it was assumed that Kai Havertz would continue down the middle of the attack.
However, Potter has instead opted to give January arrival Fofana his full debut, seven weeks after leaving Molde for Stamford Bridge.
Given the quick turnaround from Wednesday's Champions League game at Borussia Dortmund, five other alterations have been made, with Benoit Badiashile and Noni Madueke coming back into the team as expected.
Cesar Azpilicueta, Mateo Kovacic and Mason Mount are also included, with Reece James and Thiago Silva being handed a complete rest for this encounter.
The same applies for Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Hakim Ziyech, while Mykhaylo Mudryk and Havertz are named among the replacements.
Wesley Fofana, Denis Zakaria and Raheem Sterling are all options on the substitutes' bench after their respective recoveries from injury.
Chelsea: Arrizabalaga; Azpilicueta, Koulibaly, Badiashile, Chilwell; Fernandez, Kovacic; Madueke, Felix, Mount; D. Fofana
Subs: Bettinelli, Chalobah, W. Fofana, Hall, Gallagher, Zakaria, Mudryk, Sterling, Havertz
Southampton: Bazunu; Maitland-Niles, Bella-Kotchap, Bednarek, Perraud; Lavia, Ward-Prowse; Elyounoussi, S. Armstrong, Sulemana; Onuachu
Subs: Caballero, Walker-Peters, Lyanco, Diallo, Alcaraz, Djenepo, Walcott, Mara, A. Armstrong body check tags ::
