Chelsea predicted lineup vs Tottenham Hotspur - Carabao Cup
Chelsea welcome Tottenham Hotspur to Stamford Bridge for the first of a two-legged Carabao Cup semi-final on Wednesday evening.
Thomas Tuchel's side earned a point after trailing Liverpool by two goals in west London on the weekend. A share of the spoils with Jurgen Klopp's title challengers is nothing to sniff at, but it did extend a sequence of six draws - in normal time - from their last eight home games.
Here's the XI Tuchel may call upon to return to winning ways at the Bridge.
Chelsea predicted lineup vs Tottenham Hotspur - Carabao Cup
1. Goalkeeper & defenders
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Kepa Arrizabalaga (GK) - The world's most expensive goalkeeper is poised for an extended run back in the starting XI while Edouard Mendy is on international duty.
Malang Sarr (CB) - With Trevoh Chalobah aggravating a hamstring issue on Sunday, and every other centre-back being out injured, Sarr will likely make a rare start.
Thiago Silva (CB) - Chelsea's oldest squad member (by half a decade) has been shielded from the earlier rounds of the competition but, with the first silverware of the season on the horizon, may be drafted in for the final four.
Antonio Rudiger (CB) - The squad's most-used (and frequently carded) player may be deployed once more as the tournament crawls towards its climax.
2. Midfielders & wingbacks
Cesar Azpilicueta (RWB) - The only title Chelsea's captain hasn't won with the Blues is the Club World Cup, which the reigning champions of Europe get another shot at next month.
Saul Niguez (CM) - A fixture of Tuchel's Carabao cast so far, no player has had more shots on target in this season's competition without scoring (four).
Jorginho (CM) - No Chelsea player can outscore the penalty-taking Italian during Tuchel's reign, with 13 goals across all competitions.
Marcos Alonso (LWB) - One of the division's most prolific defenders (if he can be shoehorned into that category) has scored as many goals against Tottenham (three) as any other opponent in his career.
3. Forwards
Callum Hudson-Odoi (RW) - Current Tottenham manager Antonio Conte never started Chelsea's academy graduate during his two years in west London, but did hand Hudson-Odoi his senior debut in January 2018.
Christian Pulisic (ST) - The US international has been shunted all over the pitch as Tuchel clearly trusts the versatility of a player he has known for more than half a decade.
Mason Mount (LW) - The most-used player during Tuchel's near year in charge is unlikely to be dislodged from a starting XI he has so regularly figured in.
