Sandwiched in between league fixtures for Chelsea FC is a third round Carabao Cup clash at home to Leeds United. Chelsea suffered a London derby defeat to Arsenal yesterday, and they’ll take on Hull City at home on Saturday. Manager Xabi Alonso is almost certain to freshen up his side, in a few different positions. And with that we predict a first ever start for summer signing Geovany Quenda in attack.
And also maybe a rare start for fellow attacking player Jamie Gittens.
EFL Cup Third Round
Chelsea vs Leeds United
Kickoff: Wednesday September 9th, 8pm
Interview with Leeds United midfielder Brenden Aaronson: go here
Chelsea Preview Material: Team News Predicted XI
We can then see another summer signing, Danny Welbeck, rounding out the starting assignments in the final third.
Carabao/League/Capital One/EFL Cup ties are the time and space for doing squad rotation, so perhaps a recall into the starting lineup is in order for Mike Penders, Levi Colwill and transfer window addition Pep Chavarria.
Chelsea are still smarting from yesterday, when they blew a lead against the reigning Premier League champion Arsenal. So the sooner they can play, and the faster they can get a result the better!
Predicted Starting XI vs Leeds United (EFL Cup)
Mike Penders; Reece James, Maxence Lacroix, Levi Colwill, Malo Gusto; Romeo Lavia, Valentin Barco, Pep Chavarria; Jamie Gittens, Geovany Quenda; Danny Welbeck
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.