Defending champions Chelsea will travel to Goodison Park to take on Everton in their fifth match of the English Premier League (EPL) 2015-2016 campaign.
Both the sides have made an awful start to the league. Securing three points from this all-important fixture will be their primary agenda on Saturday.
Jose Mourinho and his men have managed to bag just four points from as many matches in which they have won only one game so far, lost two and drawn one.
Meanwhile, Everton have a point more than Chelsea ahead of their Saturday's clash. They have five points from four matches, in which they have also won only one game, drawn two and lost one.
Thibaut Courtois has been sidelined due to an ankle injury and this will be a major blow to the Blues from Stamford Bridge. Mourinho has said that the injury is serious and he would require a surgery to address the issue. Asmir Begovic will be deputising Courtois until the latter recovers.
The Toffees are coming into this match after a goalless draw with Tottenham Hotspurs at the White Hart Lane before the international break. Surprisingly, Everton have failed to find the back of the net in their last two fixtures against Watford and Tottenham. They have earned two clean sheets so far in this campaign but looked vulnerable a number of times.
John Stones had been the centre of attraction at Goodison Park as he wanted to join Chelsea but the Toffees rejected three bids from them just ahead of the transfer deadline day, making sure that the young lad stays put in his current club for this season. Aaron Lennon returned to Everton for his second leg with the club and is likely to make it to the playing XI on Saturday.
It would have always been a difficult start for the Toffees in this season of EPL, as they had the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea to face in their first five games. In October, they will have to take on Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool. So picking up three points from this match will be absolutely crucial for Roberto Maritnez and his men. They also have Swansea City FC, who ended United's unbeaten run in the campaign, the next weekend.
On the other hand, Mourinho will be hopeful that his players pull their socks up after their 2-1 defeat against Crystal Palace before the international break. The only victory they have achieved so far was against West Ham United. As a result, they are languishing in 13th position in the Premier League table.
Mourinho has been under the radar not only because of his performance as the coach this season but also for the way he dealt with the medic Eva Carneiro. He banished Carneiro from the sidelines after she treated Eden Hazard against his wish.
Surprisingly, Chelsea have conceded nine goals in their title defence campaign which is only second to Sunderland who are right at the bottom of the points table. The last time when Chelsea travelled to Goodison Park, they thumped nine goals which included a Diego Costa hat-trick.
Tom Cleverley and Leighton Baines will not be available for Everton in their clash against Chelsea as both are yet to recover from their respective injuries. Meanwhile, Oscar is likely to make a comeback in the playing XI for Chelsea after he took a blow in their first game against Swansea. John Terry will also be available as he has served his suspension period.
Expected Lineups:
Everton: Howard, Coleman, Stones, Jagielka, Funes Mori, McCarthy, Barry, Lennon, Barkley, Kone, Lukaku
Chelsea: Begovic, Ivanovic, Terry, Cahill, Azpilicueta, Fabregas, Matic, Pedro, Hazard, Oscar, Costa
Everton vs Chelsea Schedule: 12 September, Saturday: Match time: 12:30 pm local time (5 pm IST, 7:30 am ET and 11:30 am GMT).
Venue: Goodison Park.
