Given the extreme fixture congestion that Tottenham Hotspur are in the midst of, and the lengthening injury list, expect to see a far from their strongest side tomorrow night when they host Chelsea FC in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.
With three matches this upcoming week, the London derby League Cup clash has to be the lowest in priority, of this troika of games, for manager Jose Mourinho.
Chelsea FC at Tottenham Hotspur Carabao Cup 4th Round FYIs
Kickoff Tues Sept 28, 7:45 pm BST
How to watch: go here
Chelsea team news, Starting XI Prediction: go here
Forward Son Heung-Min suffered a hamstring injury yesterday, and he’s out until after the international break at least. It’s a bummer because he was in real fine form to start the season and feeling great about it.
He’ll join big name signing Gareth Bale and defender Japhet Tanganga as absentees. Elsewhere, midfielder Moussa Sissoko is a doubt, after withdrawing from the Newcastle match over the weekend due to an illness.
Given the overloaded September schedule, there had been plenty of speculation that Mourinho might field a team of youngsters for this clash.
We don’t think Mourinho will go that far, as he’s famously intensely competitive for cup competitions such as these. They mean a lot to him, so expect mostly or all senior team players, but it will be the guys lower on the depth chart, seeking an opportunity to impress their manager and earn more playing time.
Tottenham Hotspur Starting XI Prediction:
Hart; Aurier, Alderweireld, Dier, Reguilon; Ndombele, Fernandes, Alli; Sessegnon, Bergwijn, Moura
Prediction: Chelsea 3, Tottenham 2
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.