Monday promises an intriguing clash as Chelsea travel to Portman Road Stadium to take on Ipswich in the 19th round of the Premier League. This test against Ipswich will help prove not only how well Chelsea bounce back from their poor result on Boxing Day but how prepared they are for their December schedule.
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Chelsea: a giant in recovery
The defeat to Fulham at the last minute did disrupt Chelsea's good run and raised critical questions for Enzo Maresca. The coach, who took charge during the summer, has been juggling his lineup with the strain of a very packed month that has seen the team feature in eight matches that have tested both their quality and endurance.
Even so, Chelsea are still one of the best-performing sides away from home this term, with 20 points out of a possible 27 on the road. That will mean little if the Blues cannot improve upon their miserable record at Portman Road: no wins since the Premier League dawned in 1992.
Maresca, however, did not mince his words as he confronted the pressure: "We never thought we were going to win every game. But what counts is how we react. We have to pick ourselves up and move on."
Ipswich: survival at stake
On the other side, Ipswich is fighting to climb out of the relegation zone. With just 12 points, sitting in 19th place, Kieran McKenna's team desperately needs to collect points at home, where they have yet to win this season.
The return of skipper Sam Morsy brings in much-needed motivational boosts, but going through a Chelsea team that's hungry for redemption will simply not be easy. McKenna knows the challenge is big but vowed full commitment for an attempted upset.
The Blues' strategy
Maresca, though has already shown his hand that he would be ringinging changes. Those omissions for technical reasons last time out - Noni Madueke and Renato Veiga - come into contention once more. In contrast, Reece James, Romeo Lavia, Benoît Badiashile and Wesley Fofana are all injured.
We'll see if we make one, two or three changes," Maresca said. His words underline how important balancing the squad will be to navigate this demanding schedule.
History on the line
Although Chelsea is the clear favorite, their track record at Portman Road adds a layer of suspense to the game. Their last league meeting at the venue, in 2002, ended in a 0-0 draw, with Carlo Cudicini making a decisive penalty save. Since then, Chelsea has not faced Ipswich in Premier League action, leaving fans eager to see how this encounter unfolds.