Chelsea head into Wednesday's encounter with Southampton having strengthened their hold of fourth place in the Premier League table.

The defeat to Leicester City had left the Blues closer to rivals Arsenal, but back-to-back wins over Watford and Crystal Palace have provided Maurizio Sarri's side with a five-point advantage over the Gunners.

However, the West Londoners remain off the pace in the title race, with 11 points separating the club to leaders Liverpool.

Sarri has a number of selection dilemmas ahead of the meeting with the Saints, and here Sports Mole looks at how his team could line up at Stamford Bridge.

Out: Pedro (hamstring), Marco van Ginkel (knee)
Doubtful: Callum Hudson-Odoi (hamstring), Olivier Giroud (ankle), Ruben Loftus-Cheek (back), Cesc Fabregas (back), Danny Drinkwater (unknown)

Alvaro Morata is likely to be handed a start against Southampton, with Olivier Giroud having sustained an injury in Sunday's win over Crystal Palace.

Pedro remains absent with a hamstring injury, while Callum Hudson-Odoi may not be risked after a similar problem with the youngster potentially being given a start against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup on Saturday.

That could lead to Willian and Eden Hazard both remaining in the team despite their recent workload, with one of the pair likely to be rested at the weekend.

Mateo Kovacic is likely to come in for Ross Barkley, but Cesc Fabregas, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Danny Drinkwater could all be out of contention due to injury.

Sarri must decide whether to keep the same back four, with Emerson Palmieri and Andreas Christensen both pushing for a rare start in the Premier League.