Chelsea v Brighton: Team news published at 14:02 BST 27 September
14:02 BST 27 September
Chelsea draft in Andrey Santos and Jorrel Hato for injured duo Cole Palmer and Wesley Fofana in two changes from defeat at Manchester United last weekend.
Striker Joao Pedro also starts to face his former club.
Brighton bring in Diego Gomez after his four-goal midweek Carabao Cup haul against Barnsley in place of Brajan Gruda from last weekend's draw with Tottenham.
Chelsea XI: Sanchez, James, Chalobah, Hato, Cucurella, Santos, Caicedo, Estevao, Fernandez Pedro Neto, Joao Pedro
You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Crystal Palace v Liverpool" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Nottingham Forest v Sunderland", for instance.
Sutton's predictions: Chelsea v Brightonpublished at 11:11 BST 27 September
11:11 BST 27 September
This is quite a big game for Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca after his side lost to Bayern Munich and Manchester United.
I was at their Carabao Cup tie with Lincoln City in midweek and they were expected to win that tie, which they did, but the Imps caused them all sorts of problems and Chelsea are just not very convincing at the moment.
It hardly helps that Cole Palmer must be a big doubt to play after he came off injured against United, and they will miss him badly if he is ruled out.
When I think of Brighton, I always think they will score goals but they can be quite inconsistent.
There are that many of their former players at Chelsea, this is like Brighton versus Brighton Old Boys - and I don't think either side will do enough to win it.
Chelsea v Brighton: Key stats and talking pointspublished at 18:59 BST 26 September
18:59 BST 26 September
Matthew Hobbs BBC Sport journalist
Chelsea aim to bounce back from a first league defeat of the season at Old Trafford last weekend against a Brighton side riding high after becoming the first team in League Cup history to score six goals in back-to-back matches.
BBC Sport examines some of the key themes going into Saturday's game at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea's nightmare first half
Chelsea's loss to Manchester United was underpinned by a surreal first half which became the first in Premier League history to see two or more goals, red cards and substitutions take place.
Robert Sanchez's red card after five minutes was the fastest a keeper has been sent off in the Premier League in 30 years - since Tim Flowers for Blackburn Rovers in 1995 - while Chelsea's three substitutions in the opening 21 minutes (including Cole Palmer) was the fastest any team has changed three players in a Premier League match.
Blues boss Enzo Maresca said afterwards that Palmer had not been fully fit although his removal compromised Chelsea's ability to get back into the game once United midfielder Casemiro had also been dismissed for two yellow cards.
The Blues have since survived a scare to win at Lincoln City in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.
Maresca made nine changes for the trip to the LNER Stadium and while first-team regulars will return at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, the Chelsea boss is managing the absence of up to nine senior players, who are either injured, suspended or ineligible.
Can Brighton replicate EFL Cup performance?
Brighton have won just one of their past 12 visits to Stamford Bridge in all competitions but could this weekend provide an opportunity to improve that record against an injury-hit home team who have conceded two goals in each of their last two Premier League outings?
The Seagulls scored six goals at Barnsley in the Carabao Cup earlier this week, following a 6-0 win at Oxford United in round two, but their away form in the top flight must improve following defeats at Everton and Bournemouth so far this season.
Getting the balance right between attack and defence has been something of an issue for Fabian Hurzeler: Brighton have only kept one clean sheet in their past 17 Premier League matches, a 2-0 win over Wolves in May.
However, they are unbeaten in their past 16 games when netting the first goal (W8, D8) - meaning an early breakthrough at Stamford Bridge could be crucial.
Should Brighton upset Chelsea to win the game, don't be surprised if the winner comes from the Seagulls' stock of young talent.
Brighton's two scorers against Tottenham in the 2-2 draw last weekend were 21-year-olds Yankuba Minteh and Yasin Ayari – something of a familiar theme.
Since the start of the 2023-24 Premier League campaign, Brighton have scored 21 goals via players aged 21 or under – at least seven more than any other club.
Image caption,
Brighton have scored more goals via young players than any other Premier League team in recent seasons
Hurzeler on Gruda's fitness, early form and facing Chelseapublished at 10:38 BST 26 September
10:38 BST 26 September
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge (kick-off 15:00 BST).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
On team news after a couple of injuries: "Some positive news, Mats Wieffer is back, as is Maxim De Cuyper. Jack [Hinshelwood] is still out so overall we have some options, especially regarding our full-backs, so good news."
Hurzeler says Brajan Gruda and Yankuba Minteh "will be fine" after recovering from injuries.
The Seagulls' boss spoke about having five points from five games: "We are unhappy with the results but in the end we can't focus on the results. It's about the process and focusing on the development and focusing on us. I am sure we will get the result sooner or later. It's important not to overreact."
On if it will help his team if Cole Palmer is unavailable for Chelsea: "We can't influence if he's playing or not. It's important to focus on our game and focus on how we want to play. If he's starting, he's a game changer for them [Chelsea]. He is one of the best Premier League players. He's got a special left foot. He can decide a game in one action."
Discussing the prospect of facing Club World Cup Winners Chelsea, Hurzeler added: "It's about defending as a team, as a unit, but it's not about only defending, it's also about playing our style of play. If you go there trying only to defend you won't have a chance."
Brighton will face former striker Joao Pedro and Hurzeler commented: "Joao was a special player for us and it's not easy to replace him one-to-one but we did it as team and we did it quite well. There's always a process, new players have to step in, new young players with big potential have to step in. They have to prove themselves every weekend that they are ready for that but they need time."
Hurzeler added: "Second thing, of course, Joao is a special player. He proved it already at Chelsea in the first [few] games. He played well. He scored goals. He's very good in possession. He is a game changer for them. We have to defend as a team, as a unit. I'm sure we are capable of doing that."
