CHELSEA VS AFC WIMBLEDON CARABAO CUP SECOND ROUND PREVIEW TONIGHT

Chelsea will kick off their journey for EFL Cup success as they host League Two team AFC Wimbledon at Stamford Bridge in the second-round clash set for tonight.

ALSO READ: PREVIEW OF NIGERIAN PREMIER LEAGUE FIRST ROUND MATCHES

While the Blues are starting their knockout campaign from the second stage, their opponents have already pulled off a major upset by eliminating Coventry City in the previous round. Due to their 12th-place finish in the 2022-23 Premier League season, Chelsea finds themselves in an unusual position in the EFL Cup this week. This marks their first participation in the second round of the tournament since the 2016-17 season. While all English teams competing in Europe receive a bye into the third round, Mauricio Pochettino's squad faces an additional challenge if they aim to secure their sixth EFL Cup title – the first since the 2014-15 season – in six months' time.

CLICK HERE JOIN OUR FANTASY PREMIER LEAGUE MINI LEAGUE

Chelsea hasn't exited the League Cup at the second-round stage since the 1995-96 edition, when they were defeated by Stoke City over two legs. However, their hopes were dashed in the third round last year, suffering a loss to Manchester City. This came after their penalty shootout heartbreak against Liverpool in the 2022 final.

Mauricio Pochettino claimed his first victory as Chelsea's head coach during their third attempt, as they triumphed over Luton Town with a standout performance from Raheem Sterling. Sterling scored twice before Nicolas Jackson added to the scoreline, resulting in a 3-0 victory. Chelsea is now striving to avoid their first EFL Cup defeat at Stamford Bridge since the pre-COVID days of October 2019 when they were beaten 2-1 by Manchester United.

In contrast to Chelsea, Wimbledon enters Wednesday's match unbeaten in the 2023-24 season so far. However, their winning streak was halted by recently-relegated Forest Green Rovers in their most recent fixture. Wimbledon held a lead through James Ball's header, but Troy Deeney, a player-coach for Forest Green, leveled the score before the match's conclusion.

Wimbledon's strong start to the season includes a notable victory in the EFL Cup first round against last year's Championship playoff runners-up, Coventry City, with Ryan McLean scoring an injury-time winner. This achievement marks only the third time Wimbledon has reached the second round in the tournament's history.

While Chelsea clinched a 3-0 victory against Luton Town, new signing Djordje Petrovic observed from the sidelines. Pochettino confirmed that Robert Sanchez would be the starting goalkeeper. Changes are expected further up the pitch, with players like Diego Moreira, Ian Maatsen, Noni Madueke, Bashir Humphreys, and Marc Cucurella likely to be given opportunities.

TEAM NEWS FOR THE TWO TEAMS AHEAD OF THE CLASH

Unfortunately, Romeo Lavia's Chelsea debut is unlikely until after the international break. Several players, including Armando Broja, Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, Marcus Bettinelli, Christopher Nkunku, Carney Chukwuemeka, Reece James, and Trevoh Chalobah, are dealing with injuries.

For Wimbledon, captain Jake Reeves and midfielder Armani Little suffered injuries in their recent draw against Forest Green. Reeves has a hamstring issue, while Little's condition is uncertain. James Ball, Reeves's replacement, is poised to take on the captain's role in the midfield. Harry Pell is prepared to step in if Armani Little is unable to play.

2023 @OrangeFootballMagazine. All rights reserved. Permission to use this article as a quotation and point of reference is allowed subject to appropriate credit being given to the author Orange Football Magazine as the source.