Chelsea vs Derby
EFL Cup 2018/19
Venue: Stamford Bridge
Date: Wednesday, 31 October
Kick-off: 7:45pm BST
Frank Lampard returns to Chelsea with his Derby side out to cause another giant killing at Stamford Bridge.
The Championship side dumped Manchester United out of the competition in the third round stage last month after a thrilling penalty shoot out win at Old Trafford.
Chelsea's all-time top goal scorer heads back to the club for the first time as a manager, looking to halt the Blues' unbeaten start to the season.
Scroll down for Standard Sport’s comprehensive preview...
Team news
Eden Hazard missed Sunday's 4-0 thrashing of Burnley, remaining in London after picking up a back problem in the draw with Manchester United.
Chelsea will understandably exercise caution over their top scorer, with Sarri commenting on Friday he was not sure whether the Belgian will feature midweek.
Pedro, who started the season so brightly under the Italian, suffered another setback on Sunday when he was forced off with what his manager later described as a “very strong stomach ache.”
Ruben Loftus-Cheek came onto replace the Spaniard, scoring his fourth goal in four days after his hat-trick against BATE Borisov in the Europa League. The midfielder will be expected to start against Derby with a Callum Hudson-Odoi also hopeful given doubts over Pedro and Hazard’s availability.
Ethan Ampadu meanwhile remains out with a knee injury suffered on international duty with Wales.
The big news as far as Derby are concerned is Chelsea loanees Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori are available for selection. Chelsea have given Derby special permission allowing the youngsters to play against their parent club on Wednesday.
TV, online and live stream coverage
The match will be shown live on Sky Sports' Premier League and Main Event channels, and is available via Now TV with a day pass on offer for £7.99.
Sky Sports subscribers can stream the match online via SkyGo and the SkyGo app.
You can follow all the goals with Standard Sport's LIVE blog.
Tickets
For Chelsea ticket information, click here to head to the club's website.
Prediction
Betting tips via Betfair | UK users only | Subject to change
- Chelsea to win 2-0: 5/1
- Derby to win 2-1: 25/1
- Olivier Giroud first goal scorer: 7/2
- Ruben Loftus-Cheek to score two or more goals: 8/1
- Mason Mount to score anytime: 7/1
Click here to find the latest match odds and place a bet.
Head to head
This will be the 107th meeting between these two sides. Chelsea just about hold the better record, taking 39 wins to Derby's 38.
