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Chelsea face a tough challenge as they travel to Anfield to take on Liverpool in the Carabao Cup fourth round without key man Cole Palmer.
The Blues are desperately seeking a response after a dismal 2–0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur over the weekend. It was the first home loss of the Xabi Alonso era and only the second time in 36 years that Chelsea have fallen to Spurs in a league match at Stamford Bridge.
There is little time to reflect on that poor showing with a Merseyside clash just around the corner. Standing in the way of Alonso's side and a Carabao Cup quarterfinal berth is a Liverpool team riding a four-match winning run.
Chelsea breezed past Luton Town before mounting an impressive comeback against Leeds United to secure their spot in the fourth round. However, an entirely different test now awaits, particularly with Palmer ruled out.
Chelsea Confirmed Lineup vs. Liverpool
Starting XI (4-3-3): Penders; Acheampong, Fofana, Lacroix, Gusto; Caicedo, Lavia, Henderson; Neto, Welbeck, Rogers.
Substitutes: Teddy Sharman-Lowe (GK), Levi Colwill, Olutayo Subuloye, Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli, Marco Palestra, Valentín Barco, Emmanuel Emegha, Estêvão, Geovany Quenda.
Why Cole Palmer Isn't Playing Against Liverpool
Palmer was shown a red card in Chelsea's weekend defeat, collecting two unnecessary yellow cards before being dismissed in the 80th minute. The England international was fortunate to receive only a booking after colliding with Mateus Fernandes, but then left the referee with no choice when he subsequently stood on Conor Gallagher's ankle.
The red card earned Palmer a one-match suspension, which he is now serving against Liverpool on Wednesday. His absence is a major blow for Alonso, who is also dealing with the injury of João Pedro.
As a result, the Spanish manager must rely on experienced forward Danny Welbeck to spearhead the attack, supported by Morgan Rogers and Pedro Neto. Estêvão finds himself on the bench once again.
The silver lining for Chelsea is that Palmer will be back in contention for this weekend's clash with Manchester United. That fixture at Stamford Bridge is set to draw significant attention as Michael Carrick battles to hold onto his position.