CHELSEA—Burnley: Preview

CHELSEA—BURNLEY

Chelsea welcomes Burnley to Stamford Bridge tonight for the fourth round of the Carling Cup and there seems to be some debate around the side he’ll field.

 

Whilst Scolari has made no secret of the fact he plans to give each competition equal respect in his first season at Chelsea. Some reports yesterday suggested the top players are all adamant they want to take part, others suggest Scolari could choose to give some fringe players a chance.

 

So, there’s a possibility we could see players like Carlo Cudicini, Paulo Ferreira and Branislav Ivanovic, whilst younger players like our young Argentinean, Franco Di Santo and Scott Sinclair could also get a run out.

 

Didier Drogba, who missed the weekend’s game against Blackburn, is likely to start although news on Joe Cole, also on the missing list Sunday, is a little less clear. But while Joe Cole might be 50/50, what we do know is that Michael Ballack and Ricardo Carvalho are not considered ready for a return tonight and of course Michael Essien remains a long-term absentee.

 

Burnley meanwhile, are not without their own selection difficulties. Striker Steve Thompson is cup-tied, whilst defensively, Clarke Carlisle is suspended and Christian Kalvenes (leg) is a doubt. However, the Burnley manager is more optimistic about Steven Caldwell and Stephen Jordan who should be passed fit to play.

 

Coyle, who’s apparently put together a pretty exciting young team, suggests he’s looking forward to the trip in the hope that his youngsters can cause an upset.

 

The Clarets manager says, “They’re so fluent and they’ve got pace and strength, everything you’d ask of an individual, and as a team, they have it. But as a player I wanted to play against the very best players and go to the best arenas and stadiums, and Wednesday provides that. There is a big financial outlay from our fans, so it’s important that we, as a group, show our appreciation to those coming down to London. We can do that by performing to our maximum and hopefully giving them something to shout about.”

 

Personally, I hope we don’t hear a peep out of them!

 

Chelsea (from)

Cech, Cudicini, Hilario, Ferreira, Bridge, Ivanovic, Alex, Terry, Mikel, Lampard, Mineiro, Drogba, Belletti, Anelka, Malouda, Kalou, Deco, Bosingwa, Stoch, Sinclair, Di Santo