Due to the World Cup being played at an unnatural time of the year, in a place where the sport really can’t safely be played, we’re dealing with an insane amount of fixture congestion. It’s truly unparalleled, as the FA presses on and shoves the EFL Cup in our casings like a sausage.
Football is like anything else in life, you can have too much of a good thing. The headliner fixture of the EFL Cup Third Round is Chelsea FC at Manchester City, a match-up of two billionaires boys club heavyweights.
Chelsea FC at Manchester City FYIs
Competiton: EFL Cup, 3rd Round
Kickoff: Wed Nov 9, 8pm, Etihad Stadium
After Extra Time Pod: Apple Spotify
Starting XI Predictions: Chelsea Manchester City
TV: UK-Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football
Team News for Both Sides
There are only two real, legitimate team news items to cover for this one, and both pertain to English internationals. Man City boss Pep Guardiola told reporters this weekend that midfielder Kalvin Phillips fully returned to training on Friday, and that he will be on the bench for this one.
“Kalvin feels much, much better,” Guardiola said.
“On Friday Kalvin trained a second day full session, full contact. He feels good. In the next game against Chelsea he will be on the bench. If he is going to play or not I don’t know.”
Phillips, acquired this summer in a big money deal, has only featured three times for City, as shoulder surgery sidelined him for two months.
While he still stands an outside chance of being named to the England World Cup squad later this week, Chelsea’s Ben Chilwell will miss out.
His hamstring injury is as bad as had been feared, if not worse.
Via a tweet posted on his official account, Chilwell stated: “Following my ACL injury I worked so hard to make sure I was ready for the World Cup. It has always been a dream of mine.
“Unfortunately, this won’t be possible following my scan results. I’ll do all I can to get back playing for Chelsea ASAP.”
It probably won’t be until after the new year that we see Chilwell feature for Chelsea FC again. Go here for more on that.
Paul M. Banks is the Owner/Manager of The Sports Bank and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly contributed to WGN News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast. You can follow the website on Instagram.