Chelsea’s upcoming EFL Cup tie against Blackburn gives Mauricio Pochettino a rare opportunity to rest some of his most important first team players.
The Blues are preparing to welcome the Championship side to Stamford Bridge with a chance to book themselves a place in the quarter-finals of the competition.
After just two domestic cup games last season, both away at Manchester City, it has been a relatively exciting change to actually face some lower league opposition this time around.
Just because rotation is surely in line for tonight, it does not mean the side that the Argentine will be able to put out will by any means be too weak to secure their place in the next round.
One player who will surely get the chance to feature is Lesley Ugochukwu.
The 19-year-old has been given a handful of appearances so far this season, and injuries allowed him a chance to make his first start for the club earlier in the campaign against Bournemouth.
Ugochukwu should start against Blackburn
He has looked an extremely impressive young player whenever he has featured for the Blues, making it clear why he was the player in that position who was not loaned out for this season.
Enzo Fernandez was forced to miss the last game against Brentford at the weekend due to how many games he has played in the months since he has moved to Stamford Bridge.
Therefore, opportunities may arise for midfielders at the club to step up and show they should be given more chances for the rest of the season.
As far as those who should feature as soon as today, there is perhaps no one more deserving right now than Ugochukwu.
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