Kai Havertz Poised for Chelsea Debut Against Brighton on Monday Evening

Chelsea's marquee signing Kai Havertz is poised to be handed his Blues debut as a starter against Brighton on Monday evening.

Havertz established himself as one of the most exciting young players in world football after two eye-catching seasons in the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen, making him was one of the most hotly pursued players in the 2020 summer transfer window.

Chelsea eventually won the race, paying over £75m plus add-ons for the 21-year-old, seeing off competition from the likes of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

The Blues get their Premier League campaign underway on Monday evening with a trip to Brighton, and according to Athletic journalist Simon Johnson, the 21-year-old will be thrown straight into the blood and thunder of the English top flight from the start.

Chelsea have a multitude of midfield and forward options following a busy summer of spending, and Frank Lampard has numerous big calls to make regarding his starting XI for Monday evening's season opener.

The Blues will be without Hakim Ziyech, with the new arrival from Ajax ruled out for the start of the campaign with a knee problem, while Christian Pulisic has only just returned to training after sustaining a hamstring injury in the FA Cup final.

Chelsea have last season's top scorer Tammy Abraham, blockbuster signing Timo Werner and Olivier Giroud - who finished the 2019/20 campaign in impressive form - to pick from up front, with Werner also capable of operating out wide.

Assuming Chelsea line up in a 4-3-3 formation, Havertz could start wide right or left of a front three, or as the most advanced man in the Blues' midfield - a position he will be competing for with last season's breakout star Mason Mount.

Havertz scored 12 goals and chipped in with six assists in 30 Bundesliga appearances last season, while Mount registered seven goals and five assists in his debut top flight campaign.


Source : 90min