Chelsea have taken the unusual step of allowing Derby County to select two of their on-loan players for their League Cup fourth-round clash at Stamford Bridge next week.
The Blues granted Championship side Derby, managed by Chelsea legend Frank Lampard, permission to use Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori because "experience of facing top-level opposition once more will be of benefit to their on-going development".
The move will be welcomed by Lampard and his coaching staff, which includes former Chelsea youth coach Jody Morris, as both Mount and Tomori impressed in Derby's penalty-shootout win against Manchester United in the third-round of the Carabao Cup at Old Trafford last month.
Midfielder Mount, 19, was one of Derby's successful penalty takers against Jose Mourinho's side and, along with defender Tomori, is spending the current campaign on loan at Derby to gain regular first-team football.
Speaking of Chelsea's decision to grant Derby use of two of their key players, Lampard said: "I would like to take this opportunity to thank Chelsea, their director Marina Granovskaia and manager Maurizio Sarri for allowing Mason and Fikayo to be available for selection for the Carabao Cup tie.
"We’ve been in dialogue with Chelsea since the draw was made and it’s great, first and foremost, that the players will have the opportunity to test themselves against a top side."
