Enzo Maresca might have to shake things up when Chelsea plays Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge tonight.

The Blues lost to Aston Villa 2-1 on Saturday after Ollie Watkins scored twice in the second half.

Chelsea hasn't been doing great, winning only one of their last six league games. They don't have much time to feel sorry for themselves since they have to play Bournemouth just three days later.

Maresca might need to make some changes against Andoni Iraola’s team, who haven't been doing so hot lately either. Their last win was way back in October against Nottingham Forest.

Marc Cucurella has been playing left-back for Chelsea almost every game this season, but he had to leave the game against Villa in the second half because he got hurt.

‘He said his hamstring was bothering him, so we don’t know if he’s injured or not. That’s why he asked to be taken out,’ Maresca said after the game when someone asked about Cucurella.

Because the games are so close together, the Chelsea coach might not want to take a risk. That means Malo Gusto could start at left-back instead of Cucurella.

Reece James played the whole game last weekend, but could play again tonight. Wesley Fofana might also be back in the starting lineup.

The guy was rested against Aston Villa to keep him in shape. Benoit Badiashille started instead, but that could switch back tonight.

Jorrel Hato could have started in Cucurella’s spot tonight, but he got injured during a warm-up recently and won’t be able to play against Bournemouth.

Romeo Lavia, Levi Colwill, and Dario Essugo are still out for the Blues for a while.

Chelsea's starting lineup against Bournemouth—STADIUMNEST's guess:

Maresca will likely stick with Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez in the midfield, but he might switch things up further up the field.

Alejandro Garnacho hasn't been scoring much lately, so Jamie Gittens could take his place on the left wing tonight.

Estevao is healthy again, too. He came off the bench to replace Palmer against Villa and wants to start.

Palmer seemed annoyed when he was taken out of the game last weekend. He's probably hoping to play the whole 90 minutes tonight, which he hasn't done since coming back from his injury.

Chelsea vs. Bournemouth starts tonight (Tuesday, December 30)

Steve Nicol, who used to play defense for Liverpool, really ripped into Chelsea, saying the team needs to get their act together, especially the players who are supposed to be running the show. He was talking on ESPN and brushed off the excuse that Chelsea's just inconsistent because they're young.

Nicol said, I'm tired of hearing that Chelsea's a young team. Sanchez is 27, Cucurella is 28, and the two guys in the middle are 24—but they've got plenty of experience. Reece James is 26, come on. It really comes down to Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo in the midfield; it starts with them.

Nicol thinks Chelsea's issues really show when they're winning. He says the midfield doesn't take charge or control the game well enough. He thinks the coach, Maresca, needs to get on them when they're ahead and feeling the heat.

"I do think they've got some problems with their center-backs, which doesn't help," he said. But those two midfielders are the heart of the team, and they should be the ones sorting things out around them and behind them when they're in the lead. They need to stop the other team from playing and lock in the win. You play well, you get ahead, but then you have to be smart. And these guys have been around the block. They've won the Club World Cup and a European title; how much more experience do you need?

Maresca needs to grab those two, talk to them, and make sure they know what to do when they're ahead and trying to close out the game. You can't just keep playing the same way, then give up a goal and keep playing like nothing happened. Sometimes you just have to grind it out and make sure you win, and those two are where it starts, Nicol said.