Reece James will start his first game of the season when Chelsea host second-tier Blackburn Rovers in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.
The Chelsea captain returned from injury and featured in Chelsea’s last two matches off the bench, but now manager Mauricio Pochettino says he’s set to start.
“I can confirm he is going to start,” Pochettino told reporters on Tuesday. “I want to confirm only one player but it’s good for the team, it’s good for him to start from the beginning of the game.”
Chelsea are enduring a difficult start to the Premier League season as they sit 11th on the log with just three wins in their 10 games. They are 14 points behind leaders Tottenham Hotspur.
Over the weekend, they lost 2-0 at home to Brentford, and will seek to redeem themselves against Blackburn Rovers.
In their previous two rounds, Chelsea, who are five-time winners beat AFC Wimbledon and Brighton &Hove Albion to progress to this stage.
Their Wednesday opponents beat Walsall, Harrogate Town and Cardiff City in the previous rounds
Team News
Mauricio Pochettino is expected to rest a few players for this game, with a clash against Tottenham Hotspur in the league in mind.
Thiago Silva, Caicedo and Robert Sanchez are expected to be rested – with their positions taken up by Benoit Badiashile, Lesley Ogochukwu and Petrovic respectively.
But Trevor Chalobah, Carney Chukwuemeka, Romeo Lavia, Armando Broja, Wesley Fofana, Christopher Nkunku, Ben Chilwell and Mykhailo Mudryk will all miss this game due to injuries.
For Blackburn, they will be without Sam Gallagher, Lewis Travis, Aynsley Pears and Ryan Hedges, who are all still weeks away from recovery.
Match Facts
With 49 wins against Blackburn, Chelsea boast a superior record in this fixture.
Blackburn Rovers have picked up 36 wins since their first meeting in October 1907, while the spoils have been shared on as many occasions.
Chelsea are on a four-game winning streak against the Riversiders and are unbeaten in their 13 meetings, claiming 10 wins and three draws since a 1-0 loss in May 2006.
The Blues are winless in four of their last five home matches, losing three and picking up one draw since the start of September
Probable Line-ups
Chelsea: Petrovic; James, Disasi, Badiashile, Cucurella; Ugochukwu, Gallagher, Enzo; Madueke, Jackson, Maatsen
Blackburn: Wahlstedt; Rankin-Costello, Hill, Carter, Pickering; Tronstad, Garrett, Moran; Markanday, Dolan, Szmodics
