Xabi Alonso is set to approve plenty of rotation as Chelsea take on Leeds United in the Carabao Cup third round at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday evening. The Blues are back in west London three days after a 2-1 defeat at Arsenal that ended an otherwise perfect start to the Spaniard’s tenure.
Alonso’s approach to the competition already offers a clear template of how he plans to handle busy weeks. Last month he made five changes for the 2-0 second-round defeat of Luton Town, handing competitive debuts to Mike Penders, Valentin Barco and Danny Welbeck. Hull City arrive at Stamford Bridge just three days after the Leeds fixture and a similarly liberal reshuffle looks inevitable.
With Emiliano Martinez rested, the obvious beneficiary is Penders, who kept a clean sheet against Luton, as Alonso is not afraid to rotate his goalkeeper. Levi Colwill was an unused substitute at the Emirates and is ready to be re-introduced immediately, most likely alongside Maxence Lacroix for continuity. Malo Gusto and Pep Chavarria should take the flanks after demanding afternoons in north London for Pedro Neto and Jorrel Hato.
Midfield is the most complex conundrum, with Moises Caicedo unlikely to be exposed to further jeopardy after Alonso admitted he had rushed the Ecuadorian back too soon against Brighton. Reece James played in central midfield and captained the side at Arsenal and may be given a break, which would see Barco move up into the same area as Romeo Lavia.
Upfield, Estevao has been the standout performer after forcing David Raya into a smart save with his curling effort in the 89th minute. Welbeck, who scored on his debut in the competition, should lead the line, with Geovany Quenda and Jamie Gittens both unused substitutes at the Emirates. That calculus points to a 4-2-3-1: Penders; Gusto, Lacroix, Colwill, Chavarria; Barco, Lavia; Quenda, Estevao, Gittens, and Welbeck.
Leeds United will punish any Chelsea complacency
Daniel Farke’s side are a far more demanding proposition than the League One opposition Chelsea dispatched in the last round. Leeds have not lost in four competitive games this season, scoring five and conceding just twice in that run.
The Whites won at the City Ground in the Premier League and EFL Cup, before earning creditable draws against Brentford and Brighton. Dominic Calvert-Lewin has already produced decisive interventions and Jayden Bogle’s opener on the south coast highlighted their increasing threat from wide areas.
Farke is also a big fan of rotation and has new boys ready to make their competitive debuts, although his own treatment room is still in use. Ilia Gruev is back in training but not yet available for selection, and Joe Rodon is months away due to a hamstring problem. Chelsea, therefore, cannot see Wednesday as a procession, and Alonso’s reserves will be put through their paces rigorously ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Hull City.