Chelsea are set to host Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday evening in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-finals.
The Blues beat west London rivals Brentford 2-0 in the last round of the EFL Cup. They come into this fixture off the back of a pulsating 2-2 Premier League draw with Liverpool at the weekend.
Thomas Tuchel will be wary of Tottenham, who have enjoyed an upturn in form under new manager Antonio Conte and head to Stamford Bridge following a 1-0 win over Watford in the Premier League.
Chelsea Team News
Romelu Lukaku was left out of the Liverpool tie following his controversial interview with Sky Sport Italia, but he is expected to be immediately back in Thomas Tuchel’ s squad on Wednesday after holding positive talks with the Chelsea board.
The Blues will be without their injured wing-back duo of Reece James and Ben Chilwell. Trevoh Chalobah, Timo Werner and Andreas Christensen are doubtful but Tuchel will be boosted by the return of Ruben Loftus-Cheek to training on Monday.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Edouard Mendy will be unavailable to face Spurs due to his AFCON commitments.
Predicted Chelsea Lineup vs Tottenham (3-4-2-1)
Goalkeeper
With Edouard Mendy having left to represent Senegal for the AFCON, Kepa Arrizabalaga becomes the undisputed starter in goal for Chelsea. The Spaniard will have to be at his best to keep a clean sheet against an in-form Tottenham side.
Defence
In front of Kepa, Tuchel could opt for a back three. Malang Sarr, Antonio Rudiger and Thiago Silva are expected to start in the Chelsea lineup. They have to be switched on for the entire game to keep an exciting Spurs attack at bay on Wednesday.
Midfield
Thomas Tuchel is expected to ring some changes to his midfield. Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso will continue in the full-back positions. Jorginho started on the bench against Liverpool, meaning the Italian should be fresh to start in central midfield.
Partnering Jorginho in the centre of the park could be Saul Niguez, whose best performances for Tuchel’s side have undoubtedly come in this competition.
N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic have earned their well-deserved rests following their excellent displays against Liverpool. They will start on the bench, along with the fit-again Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
Attack
Having held positive talks with the Chelsea hierarchy, Romelu Lukaku is expected to return to the squad and could directly go into the Chelsea lineup. The big Belgian needs minutes and goals to get his mojo back. He will replace Christian Pulisic up front.
Hakim Ziyech and Callum Hudson-Odoi could aid Lukaku in attack, as Chelsea look to earn a positive result against Spurs in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-finals.
