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Chelsea at Brentford predicted XI: 3-4-2-1 only recognizable thing

By Olaoluwa Nwobodo

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 26: Kepa Arrizabalaga of Chelsea celebrate during the Carabao Cup Round of 16 match between Chelsea and Southampton at Stamford Bridge on October 26, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 26: Kepa Arrizabalaga of Chelsea celebrate during the Carabao Cup Round of 16 match between Chelsea and Southampton at Stamford Bridge on October 26, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 26: Kepa Arrizabalaga of Chelsea celebrate during the Carabao Cup Round of 16 match between Chelsea and Southampton at Stamford Bridge on October 26, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 26: Kepa Arrizabalaga of Chelsea celebrate during the Carabao Cup Round of 16 match between Chelsea and Southampton at Stamford Bridge on October 26, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images) /

Chelsea has six players out due to testing positive for COVID-19 and then to make matters worse, others out to injury. Thomas Tuchel has been said to call up some academy prospects to first team training, and there’s no doubt several of them will make their debuts on Wednesday afternoon at Brentford. The Blues struggled to beat the Bees with a fully healthy team last time out, so there’s no telling how this contest goes in the Carabao Cup quarterfinals.

Tuchel will send out a team with practically no expectations, so anything he gets will be a bonus, but who does he name in his starting XI at the Brentford Community Stadium?

Kepa Arrizabalaga (No. 1) Goalkeeper, Spain

Kepa Arrizabalaga easily slots in between the posts for this one. He has been superb this season and that’s not an overreaction. His confidence is probably at an all-time high (or as high as it can be without being No. 1 choice). Arrizabalaga saved Chelsea from total embarrassment against Zenit St. Petersburg because Zenit should have definitely scored more. Way more. Chelsea is most definitely going to lose Edouard Mendy to the 2021 African Cup of Nations and it’s good the club is already building up the Spaniard’s confidence for when he needs to step in as first choice, even on a temporary basis.

Josh Brooking (No. 47) Right centerback, England

Josh Brooking has made 22 appearances for the Chelsea under-23s this season. There’s no expectation on the debutants in this game, but there’s definitely space for them to give Tuchel something to think about. This isn’t a ‘no pressure’ game either as it’s a quarterfinal, so this is a big step for the youngsters. Should Chelsea win the Carabao Cup, everyone may look back to the quarterfinals where the academy literally bailed it out . . . if they bail the Blues out.

Xavier Mbuyamba (No. 43) Centerback, Netherlands

Xavier Mbuyamba has not made a senior appearance for the Blues yet, but you get the feeling that a start is not far away now. Mbuyamba has all the stereotypes of the perfect centerback in his favour. He rises to 195 cm (6-foot-5) and has the solid build of the perfect centerback. He was highly rated while he was still in the Netherlands and in the academy of Barcelona. Ultimately, no one can really know who’s ready to make the jump into top flight football until they’re given the chance, then they have to make as strong a case as they can.

Malang Sarr (No. 31) Left centerback, France

Malang Sarr probably comes in for Antonio Rudiger. The French youngster has done alright in the absence of the German, considering that he’s often played in a team with little-to-no chemistry, alongside centerback partners he’s not familiar with just yet.

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