Chelsea FC were missing a few key players last night, in their 3-2 win over Fulham FC. A couple of those absentees were more than a bit surprising, such as midfielder Moises Caicedo and defender Marco Palestra. The good news is that neither player is seriously injured, and only just nursing knocks right now.
Palestra and Caicedo just had some minor setbacks in training this past week, so they should be fit to play next weekend, in the Premier League home opener against Brighton.
Carabao Cup Second Round
Chelsea FC vs Luton Town
Kickoff: Thurs. Aug 27, 7:30pm
Venue: Stamford Bridge, London, UK
Chelsea Preview Material: Team News Predicted XI
Blues Team News
They are doubtful for this midweek League Cup clash against Luton Town however. Also doubtful for this match is Aaron Anselmino, who continues his recovery from a hamstring problem. Jordan Henderson (wrist) and Emmanuel Emegha (hamstring strain) remain sidelined.
Elsewhere Wesley Fofana has now served his suspension, which carried over from last season, in the opener on Monday night. So he’s eligible for selection here. Chelsea and Luton have only met three times previously, and the matches were all occurred over the course of 2022-23.
The Blues won all three meetings.
Luton Town, or “The Hatters” were in the Premier League for one season, 2023-24. They then suffered back-to-back relegations and now reside in the third tier, EFL League One.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor 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 currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.