Marc Cucurella has returned to the Chelsea XI for Monday's Premier League game against Newcastle United.

The left-back has not played any football since undergoing ankle surgery in December, with his return to the squad coming nine days ago for the game versus Brentford.

However, as a result of injuries to Levi Colwill and Ben Chilwell, Cucurella is included on the left-hand side of a back four, with Mauricio Pochettino ditching the 3-5-2 formation from the previous fixture.

Conor Gallagher has been passed fit after a virus to take his place alongside Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez in central midfield.

Raheem Sterling gets the nod over Noni Madueke and Mykhaylo Mudryk to start in the front three, while Carney Chukwuemeka makes a welcome return to the substitutes' bench after an ankle injury.

Meanwhile, Eddie Howe has also made just the two changes to the Newcastle side that started the 3-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on March 2.

One is enforced with Kieran Trippier missing out through injury, allowing for Valentino Livramento to come in at right-back against his former club.

Further forward, Miguel Almiron has been preferred to Jacob Murphy on the flank, while Harvey Barnes misses out entirely.

Chelsea: Petrovic; Gusto, Disasi, Chalobah, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez, Gallagher; Palmer, Jackson, Sterling

Subs: Sanchez, Gilchrist, Silva, Acheampong, Casadei, Chukwuemeka, Madueke, Mudryk, Washington

Newcastle United: Dubravka; Livramento, Schar, Botman, Burn; Guimaraes, Longstaff, Willock; Almiron, Gordon, Isak

Subs: Karius, Lascelles, Ritchie, Targett, Krafth, Murphy, Anderson, White, Miley body check tags ::