CHELSEA are hosting Tottenham TONIGHT in a mouth-watering Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg tie at Stamford Bridge.
And the big news is that Romelu Lukaku is BACK in the Blues starting XI against his former manager after apologising for an interview on Italian TV.
In the initerview he spoke of his unhappiness at Chelsea and his desire to one day return to Inter, for whom he played under tonight’s Spurs boss Antonio Conte.
Chelsea beat Spurs 3-0 in the Premier League earlier this season when the two sides clashed but that was a Tottenham side under the brief leadership of Nuno Espirito Santo.
Meanwhile, the other Carabao Cup semi-final – which was due to take place tomorrow night – between Arsenal and Liverpool has been postponed after Liverpool requested the tie be postponed because of a Covid outbreak at the club.
- Kick-off time: 7.45pm
- TV/ live stream: Sky Sports Main Event/ Football
- Chelsea XI: Kepa; Azpilicueta, Sarr, Rudiger, Alonso; Jorginho, Mount, Saul; Havertz, Ziyech, Lukaku
- Spurs XI: Lloris; Emerson, Tanganga, Sanchez, Davies, Doherty; Hojbjerg, Skipp, Moura; Son, Kane
- Kante and Thiago Silva OUT after positive Covid tests
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Follow ALL of the latest updates below….
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Chelsea 1 Spurs 0
8. Havertz has hurt his hand in the making or the celebrating of the goal and is getting treatment.
Spurs finally have a bit of the ball until Kane is fairly tackled.
A clumsy start from Spurs and a ruthless opening for Chelsea.
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Chelsea 1 Spurs 0
7. Tottenham caught playing keep-ball across their back line, Tanganga and Emerson Royal make a total hash of things.
Havertz dives in and drives a cross into the box.
Sanchez tries to slash it away but it rockets into the roof of the visitors’ net.
It might go down as a Havertz goal as it looked on target.
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Chelsea 1 Spurs 0
5. GOAL Chelsea.
The Blues have piled on the pressure and Davinson Sanchez hacks a cross into his own goal.
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Chelsea 0 Spurs 0
2. ‘Champions of Europe, we know what we are’. Rings out around Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea get a free kick in a good spot on the right by Mount balloons is poorly out for a throw.
Chelsea remain on the attack, wave after wave now. Spurs yet to have any real control of the ball.
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Chelsea 0 Spurs 0
1. Moura kicks us off, Chelsea reclaim possession swiftly.
Lukaku gets a chance down the right but cannot find an early pass.
The shaven-headed striker comes complete with beard tonight, means business.
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Tuchel gutted
The covid tests that have cost Chelsea the services of Kante and Silva have left their manager reeling.
Tuchel said: “It’s huge for us as they’re two key players.
“We had the information only this morning so it’s challenging but we’ll push the players who are here to the maximum.”
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Covid news
N’Golo Kante and Thiago Silva are both missing tonight due to positive covid tests.
The Brazilian defender and French midfielder will be isolating.
Arsenal vs Liverpool tomorrow has also been postponed over lots of confirmed cases.
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Kep on the Mend
With first-choice ‘keeper Mendy off to the African Cup of Nations, £72million flop stopper Kepa gets a game.
But Tuchel insists the big-cash keeper is not a charity case.
The German said: “He is here to play, here to be a good team-mate – he is an outstanding character and fantastic goalkeeper.
“I have no doubt he will prove it.
“I feel him very calm and that is why we are calm.”
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Kane is able
Harry Kane practically begged for a transfer away from Tottenham last summer.
But he has turned it on for Antonio Conte, since the Italian manager’s arrival.
And the former Chelsea manager is thankfully for his commitment, he said: “I knew the situation in the summer and, when Harry decided to stay in Tottenham, I found a player totally involved in this project.
“I am happy to have him in my team because we are talking about the top player, a top striker in the world, and if we want to win or if we want to think to build something to win, Harry must be a point of start.”
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Had to call Saul
Spanish loan flop Saul Niguez gets a very rare start for Chelsea tonight.
The midfielder might even be doing a job at wing back.
Atletico have had a result getting him off the books for a season, without him doing Chelsea any favours at all.
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Forgiven forgotten
Romelu Lukaku was dropped for a game and could still be facing a private fine.
But his manager wants to erase the clumsy interview from their memory and move on.
Tuchel said: “”We can watch this interview 100 times, it will not get better and that will not make it better.
“We can shift our focus, we accept it happened and we have enough reasons to stay positive and protect him now because he is a key player and we want him to be a key player.”
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Second strung out
The list of Chelsea absentees shows their strength in depth.
Afcon-bound Edouard Mendy is not at Stamford Bridge, the injured Trevoh Chalobah, in-form midfielder Mateo Kovacic, Thiago Silva, Ngolo Kante and Christian Pulisic all drop out.
But the Blues’ bench still looks a lot stronger than Spurs’.
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Tottenham team
Lloris; Emerson, Tanganga, Sanchez, Davies, Doherty; Hojbjerg, Skipp Moura; Son, Kane.
Subs: Gollini, Austin, Rodon, Reguilon, Winks, Alli, Lo Celson, Ndombele, Gil.
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Chelsea team
Kepa; Azpilicueta, Sarr, Rudiger, Alonso; Jorginho, Mount, Saul; Havertz, Ziyech, Lukaku.
Subs: Bettinelli, Kovacic, Loftus-Cheek, Barkley, Pulisic, Werner, Hudson-Odoi, Vale, Hall.
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Strong Spurs too
Harry Kane starts in the League Cup clash against Chelsea.
Fellow first-team certs like Hugo Lloris, Davinson Sanchez, Heung-Min Son and Lucas Moura also start from the off.
Antonio Conte is taking this tie and return to Stamford Bridge seriously.
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He should know
Jorginho knows excalty what it’s like to play for Antonio Conte so he knows hiw tough it will be play against him.
The Italian penalty master said: “It is always hard to play against his team, they run a lot and have good organisation.
“It will be a tough game but we have prepared well and will do our best.”
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Luk who’s back
Romelu Lukaku walks straight back into the Chelsea starting XI.
Thomas Tuchel puts out a serious side with Jorginho, Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, Azpilicueta, Marcos Alonso and Antonio Rudiger starting.
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Team news alert
Under 15 minutes to go until we find out the team news for tonight.
Will Romelu Lukaku get straight back into the Chelsea starting XI?
Not long to to wait…
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Luk I’m sorry
What Romelu Lukaku said to Chesea fans this week after the infamous interview for Sky Sports Italy.
Speaking directly to the camera, Lukaku said: “To the fans I’m sorry for the upset I caused.
“You know the connection I’ve had to this club since my teenage years, so I totally understand you guys being upset.
“It’s up to me now to restore your trust and I’ll do my best to show commitment every day on the training ground and to try and win games.
“To the manager I apologise and also to my team-mates and the board because it was not the right moment.”
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Conte at Chelsea
Conte won two major honours with Chelsea during his two-year spell at Stamford Bridge.
The Italian won the Premier League in his first season with the club in 2017, and then the FA Cup in 2018.
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Conte ‘nothing to prove’
Antonio Conte says he has nothing to prove tonight against the club who sacked him in 2018.
Tottenham boss Conte said: “We did a really good job and now I don’t have to prove anything to anyone because I am a manager with a lot of experience who has done important jobs at other teams.
“I created a lot of friendships and had good relationships with the players, the staff and other people who still work there.
“So I have to thank Chelsea because they gave me the possibility to work in England and have my first experiences in the Premier League.
“But now I am the manager of Tottenham and I want to give this club 100 per cent and more. It’s very important for the club, the players and for the manager to win trophies but I think at this moment Chelsea are more ready to win than us.”
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Game off
Though tomorrow night’s Carabao Cup semi-final between Arsenal and Liverpool will no longer be taking place.
Liverpool have asked the EFL to postpone the game after a Covid outbreak at the club which has been agreed.
The Reds training ground has been closed since Tuesday.
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Silva lining
Chelsea have made one signing already this transfer window with veteran defender Thiago Silva agreeing a new one year contract.
Silva, 37, said: “I never thought I would play for three years here in this great club so I’m very happy to stay for another season.”
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How Chelsea could line up
Romelu Lukaku is set to return and lead the line in the crunch Carabao Cup semi-final tonight.
Kepa coming in as goalkeeper with Edouard Mendy now at AFCON with Senegal.