Chelsea’s Carabao Cup campaign begins away at League One outfit Lincoln City on Tuesday night, with the Blues entering the cup tie off the back of a Premier League defeat.
Their Old Trafford woes persisted in some style on Saturday evening, as they played the majority of their 2–1 defeat with ten men after Robert Sánchez’s early dismissal. Casemiro’s sending off later rendered the contest a ten-on-ten affair, but Chelsea were, by then, 2–0 down and could only score what would prove to be a late consolation through Trevoh Chalobah.
The Blues are thus winless in three in all competitions, but are fancied to return to winning ways in midweek.
Lincoln are taking on the five-time winners of this competition for the first time in well over 100 years, and they set-up this lucrative tie by virtue of away victories over Harrogate Town and Burton Albion.
Michael Skubala’s side have enjoyed a fine start to the 2025–26 campaign, with just one defeat from their opening nine league outings leaving them third in the table. A stunning victory here would see them progress into the fourth round of this competition for just the third time in their history.
Here is Sports Illustrated’s guide to Tuesday’s Carabao Cup tie.
What Time Does Lincoln vs. Chelsea Kick-Off?
- Location: Huntingdon, England
- Stadium: LNER Stadium
- Date: Tuesday, Sept. 23
- Kick-off Time: 7.45 p.m. BST / 2.45 p.m. ET / 11.45 a.m. PT
- Referee: Matt Donohue
Lincoln vs. Chelsea Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
- Lincoln: 1 win
- Chelsea: 2 wins
- Draws: 2
- Last meeting: Lincoln 0–0 Chelsea (March 4, 1911) - Division Two
Current Form (All Competitions)
How to Watch Lincoln vs. Chelsea on TV
Lincoln Team News
😍 Chelsea under the lights at the LNER Stadium next.
— Lincoln City FC 🇺🇦 (@LincolnCity_FC) September 22, 2025
The hosts may be reliant on a young frontline to spearhead a potential upset on Tuesday night, with 20-year-old Francis Okoronkwo, as well as 21-year-olds Oscar Thorn and Freddie Draper, among the candidates to start to Skubala’s attack.
Dom Jefferies may return to action if he can shake off a hip injury, but Jack Moylan is certainly out with an ankle issue.
Dexter Lembikisa is on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers but hasn’t yet made his first appearance for Lincoln. He’s unlikely to be thrust into the limelight here, so Lewis Montsma should start at right-back.
Lincoln Predicted Lineup vs. Chelsea
Lincoln predicted lineup vs. Chelsea (4-3-3): Jeacock; Montsma, Jackson, Bradley, Reach; House, Barbrook, Ring; Thorn, Draper, Okoronkwo.
Chelsea Team News
There’s no doubt that Maresca will make full use of his squad on Tuesday night, with the Chelsea boss poised to rotate heavily from Saturday‘s defeat at Old Trafford.
The Blues don’t have Robert Sánchez available after he was sent off at the weekend, but the goalkeeper is serving just a one-game ban and will be eligible for selection against Brighton & Hove Albion. Filip Jörgensen will deputise for the Spaniard here.
Alejandro Garnacho should make his first start for the club, while Marc Guiu will likely lead the Blues’ line, having been recalled from his Sunderland loan after Liam Delap sustained a hamstring injury.
Cole Palmer aggravated his groin injury on Saturday and won’t play in midweek. Maresca has also confirmed that Benoît Badiashile and Roméo Lavia remain unavailable, but the pair are closing in on returns.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Lincoln
Chelsea predicted lineup vs. Lincoln (4-2-3-1): Jörgensen; Gusto, Tosin, Acheampong, Hato; Santos, Fernández; Garnacho, Buonanotte, Gittens; Guiu.
Lincoln vs. Chelsea Score Prediction
Lincoln will be able to draw inspiration from Grimsby Town, after the League Two side knocked Man Utd out of the competition on penalties in the second round. They’ve since bypassed Sheffield Wednesday and will be in the hat for round four.
The hosts have every reason to be confident, while Chelsea will be licking their wounds from Saturday‘s bleak defeat at the Theatre of Dreams. However, Maresca’s squad is laden with quality all the way through, and his rotated XI is set to look pretty strong on Tuesday night.
An abundance of fresh faces means the Blues might not produce the most scintillating of cup displays, but they’ll crucially do enough to advance.
Prediction: Lincoln 0–2 Chelsea
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Lincoln City vs. Chelsea: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.
