Enzo Fernandez and Noni Madueke drop Chelsea team news hint as Alexander Isak plan revealed

Enzo Fernandez during Chelsea's clash against Liverpool (Image: Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

Enzo Fernandez and Noni Madueke have dropped an early team news hint ahead of Chelsea's clash against Newcastle United. The Magpies will host the Blues at St. James' Park on Sunday afternoon as they both look to climb the Premier League .

Brighton held Eddie Howe's side to a 1-1 draw last weekend, meanwhile, Chelsea enjoyed a 3-1 win over Liverpool . Then, on Thursday evening, the west Londoners cruised past Djurgårdens in the second leg of their UEFA Conference League semi-final.

Chelsea haven't had long to prepare for the trip to Tyneside, but Enzo Maresca made wholesale changes against the Swedish outfit . The likes of Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo and Nicolas Jackson were all rested in preparation for the Newcastle match.

Nevertheless, Fernandez and Madueke have posted pre-match graphic previews of the Magpies fixture to their respective Instagram stories. Historically, this suggests that the duo will be involved in some capacity.

Benoit Badiashile, Moises Caicedo and Tosin Adarabioyo have also done the same, hinting that they too will start against Howe's side. Speaking to reporters ahead of the highly anticipated bout, Maresca was quizzed on the midfield battle .

"Sandro [Tonali] probably this season has been top for Newcastle," said the Chelsea boss. "For him, he's doing very well. He's a fantastic player. I know him since he was in Brescia, and then moved to Milan and then now here in England .

"He's a fantastic player, he's doing well but they have many, many good players. They are different players. We're going to try to prepare the game in the best way, in the way that we think we can win the game and hopefully at the end we can be happy with the result."

Sandro Tonali during a Newcastle United game (Image: Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)

On Fernandez, Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, Maresca said: "Yeah, for sure. I think after Liverpool game some of you asked me and said to me that we repeat the first 11 after six months.

"I mean, Everton and Liverpool. we play with same 11 after six months. It's important when you can continue with same players because it's very important. Now we have Romeo back that is fit, Moi is doing well, Enzo is doing well, Cole [Palmer] is doing well.

"And they also have Bruno Guimaraes, Tonali, [Jacob] Murphy and Joelinton that now is injured. They have different kind of players that they are good players and I expect for sure a huge game."

Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes at St. James' Park (Image: Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

And, finally, on whether he has a plan to stop Alexander Isak, Maresca said: "I think Isak is a top player but it's not enough. There are more players, so we need to work as a team and we need to stop them as a team."

With that being said, Maresca will be relying on the likes of Fernandez and Madueke to step up and fire Chelsea to victory. While a few players have posted pre-match previews of the Newcastle game to their Instagram stories, it does not necessarily mean they will definitely start or, at the very least, play.