Thomas Tuchel has named a strong starting XI as they face non-league Chesterfield at Stamford Bridge this evening.
The Blues have named a plethora of first-team players for their clash with the Spireites, despite a number of injuries and Covid absences piling up for the home side.
Tuchel will still be hoping the side he has fielded can avoid being on the end of a giant killing, such as the loss to Bradford back in 2015 in the competition, with the boss used to naming a strong side in all competitions.
The German coach will also be hoping he can guide his team one step further than the previous two seasons, after they lost in the final at Wembley in 2020 and 2021.
The Blues have already won the world’s oldest competition eight times in their history, with the potential to secure a ninth in May.
Although they are still involved in the Carabao Cup, Champions League and could still be in the mix for the Premier League, creating somewhat of a balancing act for the head coach.
Mix that in with Covid, which means N’Golo Kante and Thiago Silva aren’t involved, as well as injury that has kept Ben Chilwell, Reece James and Trevoh Chalobah out of action.
It all means that Tuchel has had to manage his squad as best as he possibly can, with Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner notable additions to the starting line-up.
Marcus Bettinelli will make his debut for the Blues, while Callum Hudson-Odoi looks set to start at right-back.
Fans were quick to take to social media to discuss the team news.
@Willreyner: "Much stronger than I thought it’d be."
@ChelseaMHL_: "Let's win the cup for Frank Lampard."
@Moe_mrmoe: "What is this line up... who is playing RB & LB?"
@Luciahanka: "Don't tell me CHO is actually playing RB."
@Mungukeith: "If you thought the last lineup was confusing, get a load of this."
@FPLSteve: "Saul masterclass round two inbound."
@AlexisKavkas: "I am struggling to work this out."
Starting eleven: Bettinelli; Hall, Sarr, Chalobah, Hudson-Odoi; Kovacic, Saul; Ziyech, Lukaku, Werner, Pulisic.
