Chelsea face Newcastle at St James’ Park in the EFL Cup round of 16 in just under an hour, and the teams are in!
Up until the last international break, Enzo Maresca had a very clear A team and B team, with 10 or 11 players changing each game between the competitions. Now that’s starting to break apart as injuries and suspensions hit, and as the coach starts to change his first XI preferences.
So tonight’s team has a few who would have considered themselves in the first team not long ago, and a few others who would certainly have been hoping to start this weekend when we take on Manchester United. Featuring tonight doesn’t rule them out entirely, but it reduces their chances seriously.
Top of that list would be Enzo Fernandez, who captains the side, starting in midfield today alongside Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Renato Veiga.
Filip Jorgensen gets his latest chance in goal as he continues to try and unseat wobbly first team stopper Robert Sanchez, while the back four seems to have Axel Disasi on the right, Marc Cucurella on the left, and Benoit Badiashile partnering Tosin in the middle.
A front 3 of Mykhailo Mudryk, Christopher Nkunku and Joao Felix is certainly primed to produce some magic.
It’s a blow for Cesare Casadei, who had a few starts in the cup team in recent weeks. The return of Reece James has effectively freed up Veiga to play in midfield, costing Casadei his place.
Outcasts Ben Chilwell and Carney Chukwuemeka are on the bench, as are two goalkeepers. That has become something of a tradition for Chelsea in recent years, no matter how deep the squad.
Here are the full team line-ups for Newcastle vs Chelsea (kick off at 19:45 GMT)
CHELSEA:
Your Chelsea tonight! ✊#CFC | #CarabaoCup pic.twitter.com/oJGVw1YHfP
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) October 30, 2024
