Chelsea will host Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg of the EFL Cup semifinals on Wednesday, as Antonio Conte makes his return to Stamford Bridge.
Conte, who guided Chelsea to the Premier League title in 2017, will be relishing the prospect of squaring off against his former team.
Spurs have snuck into the semifinals by the skin of their teeth. They defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers on penalties before registering one-goal victories over Burnley and West Ham United.
The Lilywhites, who are looking to end a 13-year trophy drought, will fancy their chances against Chelsea, who have cooled off after a blistering start to the season.
The Blues have drawn four of their last six games in all competitions, but will be buoyed by their recent record against Spurs. They have lost just one of their last eight meetings with the Lilywhites and defeated them 3-0 in the Premier League this season.
Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur – Team News
Chelsea
Romelu Lukaku could return to the side for Chelsea after being omitted from the squad for the game against Liverpool at the weekend. The forward apologised and was fined following his controversial interview. Timo Werner is also in contention to return after a battle with COVID-19.
A message from Romelu.
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 4, 2022
Reece James and Ben Chilwell are unavailable, while Andreas Christensen will face a late fitness test. Trevoh Chalobah picked up an injury in the 2-2 draw against Liverpool and will not feature against Spurs.
Jorginho could replace N’Golo Kante in the midfield, while Callum Hudson-Odoi and Saul are also pushing for starts.
Edouard Mendy has linked up with Senegal for the AFCON and is unavailable for this clash.
Tottenham Hotspur
Christian Romero, Ryan Sessegnon and Steven Bergwijn have all been ruled out of the trip to Chelsea.
Bryan Gil, who has featured as a substitute this season, could be handed a rare start. Harry Kane is expected to lead the line once again, given Spurs’ lack of attacking options.
Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur — Predicted Lineups
Chelsea Predicted Lineup (3-4-2-1): Kepa Arrizabalaga; Cesar Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva, Antonio Rudiger; Callum Hudson-Odoi, Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic, Marcos Alonso; Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech, Romelu Lukaku
Tottenham Hotspur Predicted Lineup (3-4-2-1): Hugo Lloris, Davinson Sanchez, Japhet Tanganga, Eric Dier; Matt Doherty, Sergio Reguilon, Harry Winks, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg; Son Heung-min, Bryan Gil, Harry Kane
This time tomorrow…
Chelsea in the Carabao Cup. 👊 pic.twitter.com/i8k6cYLGcU
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 4, 2022
Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur — Key Players
Chelsea – Romelu Lukaku
Thomas Tuchel has confirmed that Lukaku is available for selection after his controversial interview last week. The Belgian will be keen to deliver on the pitch and get back in his manager’s good books. Lukaku had netted in back-to-back games before being dropped against Liverpool. The former Inter Milan striker’s pace and strength will keep the Spurs defenders on their toes throughout the game.
Tottenham Hotspur – Harry Kane
Tottenham’s talisman appears to be finding his best form after a difficult start to the season. Kane has netted just four times in 17 league games this season, but three of them have come in his last five appearances.