Mauricio Pochettino has insisted that he plans to make only 'one or two' changes to his Chelsea XI for the FA Cup third-round tie with Preston North End on Saturday evening.
Chelsea head into the game on the back of successive victories against Crystal Palace and Luton Town in the Premier League, ensuring that they remain in contention for the European qualification spots.
However, the Blues have placed a greater emphasis on domestic cup competitions in 2023-24 due to having no continental football on their schedule.
Three days after the showdown with Preston, Chelsea face Middlesbrough in the first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final at the Riverside Stadium.
With that fixture regarded as more important at this stage of the season, it has been anticipated that Pochettino could make a number of alterations to the team that started the win over Luton on December 30.
Nicolas Jackson's inclusion in the Senegal squad for the Africa Cup of Nations means that at least one change will be made, with either Raheem Sterling or Mykhaylo Mudryk in line to feature on the left flank.
Nevertheless, Pochettino insists that he will not take the opportunity to give his starting lineup a completely different look, albeit hinting that at least one unfamiliar name may feature.
Speaking to reporters, the Argentine said: "Not too many changes. We are playing with the circumstance, of course, but it is not going to change too much.
"I think you will maybe see one, maybe two, maybe player that are normally not in the starting XI, but of course, because we have some circumstance, we need to anticipate problems.
"We take it like a Premier League game. It's not that it is the FA Cup or it is a Championship team, we have full respect for Preston. Tomorrow, you will see that we are going to put in place a starting XI with all the chance to perform."
During his press conference, Pochettino indicated that Armando Broja would play down the middle of the attack with Christopher Nkunku not being considered for a starting role due to a fitness "issue" that he had earlier this week.
Despite returning to training, Ben Chilwell and Carney Chukwuemeka will not be considered for selection until next week after long-term hamstring and knee injuries.
Benoit Badiashile may also return over the next three games, but Pochettino revealed that there is still no timeline for Romeo Lavia to recover from a quad injury. body check tags ::
