Chelsea vs Sunderland team news: Cesc Fabregas and Pedro return after Guus Hiddink named manager

Chelsea make two changes in their first match without Jose Mourinho

Cesc Fabregas starts for Chelsea against Sunderland (Getty Images)

Cesc Fabregas was named in the starting line-up for Chelsea’s first match since manager Jose Mourinho was sacked after temporary coaches Eddie Newton and Steve Holland made two changes to the side that lost at Leicester on Monday.

With the news that Guus Hiddink has been confirmed as Chelsea manager until the end of the season coming just over an hour before kick-off, the post-Mourinho era was well underway despite the Portuguese being sacked on Thursday.

Fabregas comes back into the side at the expense of Ramires, who drops to the bench, while Eden Hazard is ruled out with the hip injury that forced him off at the King Power Stadium, meaning Pedro comes back into the side with Bertrand Traore promoted to the substitutes’ bench.

Sunderland will hope to end back-to-back losses with manager Sam Allardyce recalling fit-again Jermain Defoe in attack. He joins Younes Kaboul and Jack Rodwell in returning to the side, with DeAndre Yedlin, Fabio Borini and Steven Fletcher all dropping to the bench.

Teams

Chelsea: Courtois; Ivanovic, Zouma, Terry (c), Azpilicueta; Matic, Fabregas; Willian, Oscar, Pedro; Diego Costa

Subs: Begovic, Cahill, Baba Rahman, Mikel, Ramires, Traore, Remy

Sunderland: Pantilimon, Jones, Coates, Kaboul, O’Shea (c), Van Aanolt, M’Vila, Rodwell, Toivonen, Watmore, Defoe

Subs: Mannone, Borini, Gomez, Graham, Yedlin, Fletcher, Johnson