Chelsea will be looking to put their recent troubles behind them after a chaotic 2-1 defeat to Ruben Amorim’s underperforming Manchester United at the weekend, as they aim for a strong showing against third tier side Lincoln City in the Carabao Cup.
By Alex Roberts
Michael Skubala’s side can draw confidence from one of the competition’s greatest upsets in the previous round, when their arch-rivals Grimsby Town stunned United, and considering their own form, a similar shock is very much a possibility here.
Lincoln head into the tie unbeaten in 10 games, fresh from a 3-1 win over Luton that lifted them to third in League One. The Imps can also take heart from their strong home form, with five wins and two draws in their last seven at the LNER Stadium.
A rare chance for rotation
Unlike last season, Chelsea won’t be able to field two entirely different starting elevens if they want to make any progress in Europe and with the pressure building in the Premier League, key players such as Moisés Caicedo and Marc Cucurella are gonna be busy boys.
No matter who they decide to play, Enzo Maresca’s side should be winning this one fairly comfortably, but it offers those on the fringes an opportunity to make a statement.
Alejandro Garnacho was an unused substitute against United, though not through any fault of his own, while Jamie Gittens, still finding his feet back in England, could also be in contention.
Fellow summer signing Jorrel Hato may be handed only his second start since arriving from Ajax, with highly rated midfielder Andrey Santos a candidate to cover for Caicedo. Meanwhile, Marc Guiu could feature for the first time since his loan spell at Sunderland was cut short.
Lincoln’s last line of defence
One of the biggest reasons behind Lincoln’s impressive start to the season is the form of towering goalkeeper George Wickens. Standing at 6’6”, not only is he built like a shed, he has the reflexes to frustrate any opposing striker.
Wickens ranks second in League One for saves per 90 minutes with 3.1, while his 75.7% save rate places him third. He has kept three clean sheets and conceded nine goals across his nine league appearances.
Lincoln aren’t a side that dominate possession, in fact they have the lowest average in the league with 37.2%, so Chelsea will have complete territorial control of this game. Wickens already has 116 successful long balls, so he is likely to be one of their biggest outlets.
One thing is for certain, he’s going to have plenty of chances to be a hero.
Team news
Lincoln will be without Jack Moylan as he recovers from an ankle injury, while Dom Jefferies remains a doubt with a hip problem. That could see Oscar Thorn and Francis Okoronkwo join Freddie Draper in attack. Wolves loanee Dexter Lembikisa is still waiting for his debut, so Lewis Montsma may start at right-back.
Chelsea, meanwhile, face a lengthy absentee list. Robert Sánchez is suspended after his red card against United, meaning Filip Jorgensen should start in goal. Duo Roméo Lavia and Benoît Badiashile are not yet ready to return.
Long-term absentees Liam Delap and Levi Colwill remain sidelined, while Cole Palmer faces a late fitness test on a groin issue.
Prediction
It’s hard to imagine anything other than a Chelsea win in this one, but Lincoln have it in them to do some damage. We’re going with a 4-1 win for the Premier League side.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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