What is Chelsea’s best XI as kids Hudson-Odoi, James and Mount rival £58m Pulisic and veterans like Willian and Azpi? – The Sun

CHELSEA have endured a mixed start to the season that has provided as many questions as answers for manager Frank Lampard.

That includes who his best starting XI are, which is far from clear.

This is a team that’s gone from being thrashed by Man Utd, to stunning at Wolves, to a naïve Champions League defeat to a goal-fest in the Carabao Cup.

So are the kids now a better choice than veterans Willian, Pedro and Cesar Azpilicueta? Has Kepa truly nailed the No.1 jersey? Will the return of Ruben Loftus-Cheek edge out one of the current midfielders?

We asked three Chelsea experts to pick what they think is the best starting XI if everyone were fit. See who they selected below… and tell us which XI you believe is the best using the poll.

Simon Phillips – editor of CFCnet.co.uk

CHRISTIAN Pulisic and Mateo Kovacic would be heavily rotating and even have arguments to start.

But Pulisic needs to gain more confidence and has a bit to learn about the English game first.

Kovacic would be very close to starting instead of Jorginho, but the latter just pips him as things stand.

Fikayo Tomori is our current best defender on recent form and Antonio Rudiger just edges Andreas Christensen and Kurt Zouma.

The rest for me, pick themselves.

Andrew Dillon – Chelsea correspondent

CHELSEA have a new look squad and a young looking one to boot.

A raft of fresh faces have emerged since Lampard took over with his bold initiatives and counter to a Fifa transfer ban.

While the club is buzzing from the rush of energy and some decent results there is still a debate about what is Lampard’s best eleven.

This is the team I would pick for Saturday’s home game against Brighton – assuming everybody is fit and raring to go.

The first surprise is dropping number one Kepa for his deputy Willy Caballero. Kepa is yet to keep a clean sheet and is struggling to maintain the tradition of having a titan in goal for Chelsea.

Petr Cech then 6ft 5in Thibaut Courtois could save matches. Kepa is yet to assume that job and maybe a weekend out of the team would remind the Spaniard he needs to command his area.

It’s a tough position to rotate but Caballero is experienced enough to handle one or two games between the sticks while Kepa takes stock of what is required.

Azpilicueta is a machine. A right back who gives absolutely everything and even if he is not in his best form, it is way too soon to start dropping the captain for impressive but inexperienced Reece James.

Rudiger is the aggressive centre half Chelsea need at the heart of defence. He would be an ideal mentor for emerging defensive partner Tomori.

In a back four Emerson gives greater defensive capability, putting him ahead of Alonso even though the veteran is a great dead ball man and loves getting forward.

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