Chelsea FC must quickly pivot from one domestic cup competition, where their opponent is a lower division side, to the next. Having just routed Preston North End yesterday, in the third round of the FA Cup, the Blues next take on Middlesbrough in the League Cup semifinals.
“Don’t Middles me bro!” In trying to forecast the first team that manager Mauricio Pochettino will select, you know it’ll be a strong one. After all, cup glory is now in striking distance.
EFL Cup Semifinal Leg 1/2 FYIs
Chelsea FC at Middlesbrough
Kick: Tue Jan. 9, 2024, 8pm, Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough, UK
Chelsea Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Book on the Premier League authored by The Sports Bank Founder Paul M. Banks: go here
Fun Fact: None, at least not right now, if you’re a Chelsea supporter.
Say what you want about the League/EFL/Capital One/Carabao Cup, but winning it would be a big deal for Chelsea right now. Despite having the most expensive team of all-time, they are only sitting mid-table in the league, and they have no European football to speak of this season.
The Blues really need something positive to speak of. And Pochettino will go with a strong side at Middlesbrough, which we forecasted below.
Although we are second guessing ourselves over not including Noni Madueke (who could be a smart choice in the cause of squad rotation) and/or Conor Gallagher (who seems to be Poch’s first name on the team sheet much of the time).
Striker is pretty much set by default, as Nicolas Jackson is away at AFCON and Christopher Nkunku is an injury doubt.
Chelsea FC Starting XI Prediction at Middlesbrough (EFL Cup Semifinals)
Djorde Petrovic; Axel Disasi, Thiago Silva, Levi Colwill, Malo Gusto; Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo; Cole Palmer, Mykhailo Mudryk, Raheem Sterling; Armando Broja
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now, while writing for the International Baseball Writers Association of America. You can follow the website on Twitter.