Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino may have Monday night's clash with Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League in mind when he picks his team for the EFL Cup tie with Blackburn Rovers on Wednesday.

Pochettino picked a relatively strong Chelsea side for the visit of Brighton in round three, but against a lower level of opposition, he may be tempted to make more changes this time around.

In the previous round there were opportunities for Ian Maatsen and Lesley Ugochukwu from the start, but the rest of the side were first-team regulars.

The manager has a decision to make at right-back, as Axel Disasi is likely to move into the centre to fill for Thiago Silva who is set to be rested.

Malo Gusto is the most likely candidate to come in even though Reece James is back and fit, but Pochettino may look to keep him fresh for the clash with Spurs at the weekend.

Defensive woes are piling up for Chelsea though, and Silva being 39 means he is unlikely to play two matches per week.

A recent setback means Trevoh Chalobah is ruled out and this game will come too soon for left-back Ben Chilwell.

A number of minor issues affected the Chelsea side at the weekend, one of which involved Mykhaylo Mudryk, as a muscle problem kept him out, but he could be fit to return.

Noni Madueke was given a first league start of the season in his absence, and he may feature again from the outset though, as Mudryk may be preferred on Monday if he is able to do so.

After a lengthy layoff with an ACL injury, Armando Broja missed the weekend's defeat after irritating his other knee and a comeback here appears unlikely so soon.

Enzo Fernandez should be available to Pochettino though, as the Argentine World Cup winner was given time off after the birth of his child over the weekend, but he has only been a substitute in both round of this competition so far.

Long-term absentees for the Blues include Wesley Fofana and Carney Chukwuemeka, while new signings Romeo Lavia and Christopher Nkunku are unlikely to return until December at the earliest.

Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Sanchez; Gusto, Disasi, Colwill, Cucurella; Ugochukwu, Gallagher, Caicedo; Madueke, Jackson, Maatsen body check tags ::