Chelsea vs Blackburn Rovers Preview: Probable Lineups, Prediction, Tactics, Team News & Key Stats

Chelsea will be eager to continue the solid run in the EFL Cup and reach the quarter-finals when they welcome Blackburn Rovers to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.

The curtains will fall on the EFL Cup fourth round on Wednesday, with most of the matches taking place on the day. Chelsea will be in action alongside many other Premier League bigwigs, looking to book a spot in the quarter-finals when they welcome Blackburn Rovers to Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea entered the 2023/24 EFL Cup in the second round after failing to qualify for a European competition. The West London club kicked things off with a come-from-behind 2-1 win over AFC Wimbledon, setting up a third-round clash with Brighton & Hove Albion. The tie in the third round was also close, but the Blues prevailed 1-0 to reach the Last 16.

On the other hand, Blackburn Rovers began their EFL Cup journey with a 4-3 win over Walsall before cruising to an 8-0 demolition of Harrogate Town. Then came another emphatic win, as Jon Dahl Tomasson’s men beat Cardiff City 5-2 to set up a fourth-round date with Chelsea.

Meanwhile, the Blues come into this fixture on the back of a morale-sapping 2-0 defeat to Brentford at Stamford Bridge. Blackburn also lost at home this past weekend, going down 1-0 to Swansea City. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.

Team News & Tactics

Chelsea

Mauricio Pochettino does not have any new issues hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s return to the EFL Cup. Against Blackburn Rovers on Wednesday, the Chelsea manager will be bereft of the services of eight first-team players.

Mykhailo Mudryk remains unavailable due to a muscle injury. The Ukrainian international accompanies Ben Chilwell (hamstring), Wesley Fofana (knee), Trevoh Chalobah (thigh), Carney Chukwuemeka (knee), Romeo Lavia (ankle), Christopher Nkunku (knee), and Armando Broja (knee) on the sidelines.

Meanwhile, Enzo Fernandez has regained fitness to be available to take on Blackburn Rovers.  But Pochettino will rest the Argentine international on Wednesday. Lesley Ugochukwu will instead earn a rare start, with the youngster joining Moises Caicedo and Conor Gallagher in the middle of the park.

As for the defensive unit, Thiago Silva is in line for some rest. Meanwhile, Pochettino confirmed a starter for Wednesday, with Reece James set to return to the starting eleven. The Chelsea captain will join Axel Disasi, Levi Colwill and Marc Cucurella in the backline, with Djordje Petrovic coming in for Robert Sanchez.

Finally, Nicolas Jackson should spearhead the Chelsea attack against Blackburn Rovers, with Noni Madueke and Ian Maatsen likely starting on the flanks. The duo will have a point to prove after barely featuring for the West London club this term.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Petrovic; James, Disasi, Colwill, Cucurella; Ugochukwu, Caicedo, Gallagher; Madueke, Jackson, Maatsen

Blackburn Rovers

Unlike his counterpart in the Chelsea dugout, Jon Dahl Tomasson does not have a plethora of concerns to deal with ahead of the trip to Stamford Bridge. The Blackburn Rovers manager will be without four first-team players on Wednesday.

Sam Gallagher is the most notable absentee, with the 28-year-old attacker recovering from a calf injury. The Englishman accompanies Aynsley Pears (foot), Lewis Travis (calf), and Ryan Hedges (hamstring) on the sidelines.

Blackburn Rovers will line up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Leopold Wahlstedt taking his spot between the sticks. The backline should feature James Hill, Hayden Carter, Joe Rankin-Costello, and Harry Pickering.

As for the midfield unit, Jake Garrett will look to keep things tight in the middle of the park. The 20-year-old will receive defensive support from Sondre Tronstad, with Andrew Moran providing the forward thrust. Finally, Tyrhys Dolan will spearhead the Blackburn attack, with Sammie Szmodics and Dilan Markanday completing the numbers in the offensive unit.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Wahlstedt; Rankin-Costello, Hill, Carter, Pickering; Tronstad, Garrett, Moran; Markanday, Dolan, Szmodics

Key Stats

• Chelsea have faced Blackburn Rovers three times previously in the League Cup, eliminating them twice (1997/98 and 2006/07) and going out once (2009/10).
• Chelsea Blues went on to win the trophy in the two previous campaigns they knocked Blackburn Rovers out.
• Blackburn Rovers are looking to reach the League Cup quarter-final for the first time since 2011-12. They have scored 17 goals in three games this season – only Chelsea in 1960/61 (18) have ever scored more goals from rounds one to three in a season in League Cup history.
• No player has been involved in more League Cup goals this season than Blackburn Rovers’s Andrew Moran (2 goals, 3 assists), who both scored twice and assisted twice in their 5-2 win over Cardiff in the third round. Moran is averaging a goal or assist every 31 minutes in the competition this season.

Player to Watch

Nicolas Jackson

Embed from Getty Images

The lack of goals has been the biggest problem for Chelsea, holding them back from mounting a top-four charge, let alone contesting for trophies. The Blues would have hoped for a decent output from summer signing Nicolas Jackson, who arrived at Stamford Bridge after ending the 2022/23 season strongly with Villarreal.

But he has failed to hit the ground running at Chelsea, barely managing the find the back of the net. So, it is hardly surprising that pundits have criticised him, with Peter Crouch going to the extent of claiming the Senegalese international is not good enough for Chelsea. So, the onus is on Jackson to prove his naysayers wrong, starting with the game against Blackburn Rovers.

Prediction

Chelsea 2-1 Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn Rovers have been sensational in the EFL Cup, scoring goals for fun. The visitors have found the back of the net 17 times in just three games thus far. So, even though Chelsea’s defence has been solid for the most part, the away side should find the back of the net at least once on Wednesday.

The Blues have failed to perform consistently in the Premier League. But outings in the EFL Cup have seen them make their mark, although goals have still come few and far between. Nonetheless, Nicolas Jackson and Ian Maatsen should prove a point on Wednesday, delivering a narrow 2-1 win over Blackburn to reach the EFL Cup quarter-finals.