Chelsea three things to look for against Barnsley: Rotation and practice

2. The Willy Caballero confidence booster

Of all the potential lineup shakeups, Lampard has already guaranteed one: Willy Caballero taking the gloves from Kepa Arrizabalaga. At the risk of beating a horse that has long been dead and buried, getting Arrizabalaga out of the line of fire (literally and figuratively) is the best thing for all parties right now. While Edouard Mendy is presumably all but officially announced as a Chelsea player, the Blues could do worse than having the wily old Caballero standing at the ready.

Caballero will enter the match in a much better psychological state than his teammate, which on its own should do a lot to ease tensions every time a ball heads towards the penalty area. Perhaps more importantly, however, is the effect his presence will have on the defensive line in front of him.

At the risk of being reductive, Andreas Christensen’s red card against Liverpool was a direct result of his lack of faith in Arrizabalaga behind him. His panicked decision to do everything in his power to prevent Sadio Mane from enjoying a one on one with Chelsea’s much maligned number one was understandable, albeit inadvisable in hindsight. While Caballero himself isn’t exactly Lev Yashin reincarnate, he’ll at least inspire a bit more confidence in his teammates.

No matter who does start in defense for Chelsea, one can expect some cleaner passes, more focused defending, and even some mildly competent set piece organization with Caballero playing between the sticks. All of that sounds mighty enticing after the Liverpool match.

This is the first of what is likely to be a handful of starts for Caballero over the next few weeks until Mendy is signed and ready to take the field. His experience and the rapport he already has with his teammates should be helpful in calming any frayed nerves caused by Arrizabalaga’s struggles, and will serve as the perfect stepping stone as the squad reorients itself around the incoming Mendy.

As for the Barnsley match itself, Caballero shouldn’t be asked to do much, but it will be interesting to see how Chelsea’s defenders change their behavior relative to the Liverpool match. It’s apples and oranges with respect to the competition, but one would at least expect things to be much calmer and simpler with a less tormented goalkeeper at the back.