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Chelsea team news: Predicted XI vs Middlesbrough as 10 injuries threaten new Boehly low
Chelsea face a do-or-die Carabao Cup clash against Middlesbrough to salvage their season.
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino must work around a growing injury crisis to overcome a 1-0 aggregate deficit against Middlesbrough and reach the Carabao Cup final. Failure to reach the Wembley final, with a defeat at the hands of Championship opponents, would be a new low of the Todd Boehly era.
Forward Christopher Nkunku is among those unavailable to face Middlesbrough, as is right-back Malo Gusto. Express Sport selects the team Pochettino might choose.
Goalkeeper: Petrovic
Djordje Petrovic’s form might have won him the full-time No. 1 shirt at Stamford Bridge. The Serbian goalkeeper was drafted in to replace the injured Robert Sanchez in December but has subsequently excelled.
Defenders: Disasi, Silva, Badiashile, Colwill
Pochettino has confirmed that Gusto was the latest player to be added to the injury list after hobbling off in the 1-0 win over Fulham. Axel Disasi could return to right-back, with Benoit Badiashile partnering Thiago Silva at centre-back.
A rare piece of good injury news for the Chelsea boss is that Ben Chilwell is fit again after appearing against Fulham. Pochettino may still choose to go with Chilwell’s England team-mate Levi Colwill at left-back.
Midfielders: Caicedo, Fernandez, Gallagher
After plenty of chopping and changing at the start of the season, Pochettino appears to have finally settled on a midfield trio. £220m pair Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez have operated at the base of the midfield, allowing academy graduate Conor Gallagher to push further forward and press the opposition.
Chelsea need to be as full-strength as possible to overcome Middlesbrough’s 1-0 victory at the Riverside Stadium two weeks ago. Using the much-adopted three of Caicedo, Fernandez and Gallagher in midfield will give Pochettino the best chance of success.
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Forwards: Palmer, Sterling, Broja
Armando Broja is the subject of interest from elsewhere but will continue to start up front in the absence of Nicolas Jackson, who is at the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal. Chelsea reportedly wanted £50m for Broja at the start of January but have subsequently downgraded their speculative demands.
Broja scored just his second goal of the season in Chelsea’s 4-0 FA Cup victory over Preston on January 6, and the Blues need another big cup performance from the Albanian. Cole Palmer and Raheem Sterling could flank Broja, although Noni Madueke and Mykhaylo Mudryk are available.