Chelsea will look to seal a spot in the final of the EFL Cup when they visit Tottenham Hotspur for the second leg of their last-four tie on Wednesday.
The Blues cruised to a 2-0 win in the first leg at Stamford Bridge last week and will look to finish the job at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Thomas Tuchel’s side are still competing on all four fronts this season and are riding a 10-game unbeaten run heading into Wednesday’s contest.
They will, however, have to guard against complacency, given Spurs’ uptick in form under Antonio Conte. The Lilywhites have lost just once in their last seven games in all competitions and enter this clash on the back of a 3-1 win over Morecambe in the FA Cup.
Chelsea Team News
Chelsea have no fresh injury concerns following their outing against Chesterfield. N’Golo Kante and Thiago Silva are in contention to make the squad after recovering from COVID-19.
Edouard Mendy remains unavailable due to AFCON commitment, while Ben Chilwell, Reece James, and Trevoh Chalobah are sidelined due to injury.
Cesar Azpilicueta should be able to feature after shaking off a bout of cramp.
Predicted Chelsea Lineup vs Tottenham Hotspur (3-4-2-1)
Goalkeeper
With Edouard Mendy away on international duty, Kepa Arrizabalaga is Chelsea’s first-choice keeper and will likely start in goal against Tottenham.
Defenders
Thomas Tuchel fielded a four-man backline in the first leg, but is likely to revert to his preferred three-at-the-back system for this game.
Antonio Rudiger has developed into one of Chelsea’s most important players under Tuchel and will start alongside Thiago Silva, who is available after a battle with COVID-19. Malang Sarr could partner Silva and Rudiger in central defence in the Chelsea lineup.
Ben Chilwell’s absence means Marcos Alonso will continue at left wing-back, while Azpilicueta will start on the right if fit. If he’s unavailable Callum Hudson-Odoi could deputize at right wing-back while Christian Pulisic is also an option.
Midfielders
Tuchel is unlikely to risk Kante so soon after his recovery from COVID-19, meaning Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho could start in central midfield in the Chelsea lineup. Saul Niguez played in the first leg at Stamford Bridge but is expected to drop to the bench for this encounter.
Attackers
Tuchel indicated before the match that he would be open to starting both Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner. Both players scored in the 5-1 win against Chesterfield in the FA Cup.
Mason Mount will likely complete the Chelsea lineup, joining Werner and Lukaku in attack. But if Tuchel decides to rest Mount, either Kai Havertz or Hakim Ziyech could be given the nod.
