For the first time in his Chelsea FC career, striker Christopher Nkunku was healthy enough to be named to the matchday squad yesterday. We’re speaking about competitive competition only, of course, as Nkunku did actually get a lot of playing time in the preseason.
The French striker went an unused substitute in Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Sheffield United on Saturday, and perhaps he will finally make his long-awaited, true debut in a blue shirt on Tuesday night.
Newcastle United at Chelsea FC FYIs
Kickoff: Tues Dec. 19, Stamford Bridge, London, 8pm
Competition: EFL Cup Quarterfinals
Team News: Chelsea Newcastle
Starting XI Predictions: Chelsea Newcastle
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
How they Got Here: Chelsea- beat Blackburn 2-0, Brighton 1-0, Wimbledon 2-1 Newcastle- beat United 3-0, City 1-0
Blues Team News
So does this mean that Romeo Lavia isn’t far behind? Will Lavia make the bench against Newcastle for the League Cup quarterfinal clash?
We’ve been talking about Nkunku and Lavia coming back into the side and making their debuts since before the November international break.
Other than the situation surrounding this duo, there won’t be any major changes the Blues team news situation here.
You know the very long list of Chelsea long-term injury absentees, to which team captain Reece James (hamstring) was very recently added. It consists of:
Ben Chilwell (hamstring), Marc Cucurella (ankle), Robert Sanchez (knee), Noni Madueke (muscle), Wesley Fofana (knee), Carney Chukwuemeka (knee) and Trevoh Chalobah (thigh).
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.