Tottenham Hotspur will aim to overturn a 2-0 deficit in the Carabao Cup semi-finals’ second leg on Wednesday when they welcome Chelsea to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Spurs produced a meek first-half display at Stamford Bridge, conceding twice from mistakes in the opening 35 minutes in the first-leg. Kai Havertz opened the scoring for the hosts after capitalising on a loose pass by Japhet Tanganga in the fifth minute before the Spurs defender headed into teammate Ben Davies for an own goal.
Antonio Conte’s side face an uphill task to book a place in the Carabao Cup final but will take a lot of confidence from the 3-1 FA Cup third-round victory over Morecambe at the weekend.
Tottenham Team News
Antonio Conte has confirmed that Heung-min Son will be out of action for up to four weeks with a muscle problem. But Eric Dier could return to the squad after a minor injury that kept him out of the FA Cup fixture against Morecambe.
Spurs centre-back Cristian Romero, meanwhile, continues to recover from a long-term injury.
Predicted Tottenham Lineup vs Chelsea (3-5-2)
Goalkeeper
Hugo Lloris is Tottenham’s undisputed no.1 and he will have to be at his best against Chelsea to keep a clean sheet and give his side any chance of an upset.
Defence
Eric Dier is expected to return to the three-man Spurs backline, replacing Japhet Tanganga. Davinson Sanchez and Ben Davies have become important components in defence under Conte and will retain their spots on Wednesday, as Spurs look to keep the Blues at bay.
Midfield
Despite blowing hot and cold, Emerson Royal has enjoyed the trust of Conte and is likely to get the nod ahead of Matt Doherty at right wing-back again. On the other flank, Sergio Reguilon is nailed on to start in the Tottenham lineup. The Spaniard’s overlapping runs and crossing ability could cause problems to the Chelsea backline in midweek.
Harry Winks was one of the few Tottenham players to have grabbed his chance with both hands against Morecambe and is likely to keep his place in midfield in the Tottenham lineup.
He could be given a start alongside Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Oliver Skipp, as the trio will look to control the tempo of the game from the centre of the pitch. They will be tasked with the job of protecting the Spurs backline whilst offering some creativity going forward.
Attack
With Son Heung-min out injured, Lucas Moura and Harry Kane are expected to start up top as the front two in the Tottenham lineup. Kane and Moura will look to combine well in and around the box to cause problems to the Chelsea rearguard.
Bryan Gil and Dele Alli will be on the bench and could be key options for Conte to bring on in the second half in order to make an influence on the game if required.