Chelsea face Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium in just under an hour, and the teams are in!
Mauricio Pochettino promised us a strong side in these cup games, and said he’d have pretty much the same squad he had on Saturday available to him.
There is some shuffling for form and fitness: Malo Gusto switches to right back, Levi Colwill to left back, and Thiago Silva comes into central defence. In midfield, Conor Gallagher is back in.
Noni Madueke plays on the wing opposite Raheem Sterling. There is no Armando Broja. Is this a Sterling false 9 or a Cole Palmer false 9? We’ll have to see. In any case it’s a blow to Broja, who saw this as a real chance to establish himself while Nicolas Jackson is away.
We’ll see him in the second half, but it must feel like a real blow.
Your Chelsea side to face Boro! ✊@ParimatchUK | #CFC | #CarabaoCup pic.twitter.com/FFP5jwYswH
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 9, 2024