Chelsea at Tottenham: Three things to look for in Carabao Cup semifinal

3. A big test for transfers

The biggest storyline surrounding Chelsea over the last few weeks has not been its semifinal clash against a historic rival. Rather, it’s been about the Blues’ transfer activity as we’re now more than a third of the way through the winter transfer window. Serious injuries to Ben Chilwell and Reece James have created new problems for Tuchel on the pitch and Marina Granovskaia off it. There was no smoke heading into the month, but it’s not a stretch to say that the Blues were planning on making some moves that would benefit the club in the long run. Those have now been put on the back burner as Chelsea’s needs outweigh their wants.

How exactly does this relate to the Tottenham clash though?

While the Blues may not have long-term transfers on their minds right now, Tuchel is evaluating every performance. A left wingback has been the target for weeks with Emerson being the subject of a lot of discussion. This move makes sense given Chilwell’s out for the remainder of the year. The Englishman is also expected to miss some time at the beginning of next year, so it’s a no brainer given Alonso will need help. However, Chelsea has played right wingback by committee with James sidelined for a number of weeks with his injury. Azpilicueta, Hudson-Odoi and Christian Pulisic all have a chance of starting on the right against Spurs. Regardless of who gets the nod, they will be under Tuchel’s microscope. If one of the latter individuals starts and puts in a good shift, this could mean Chelsea pulls out of any and all races for a right wingback replacement.

Several other players also need to play well if their names are called. This includes individuals like Malang Sarr and Saul. The former is a candidate to go out on loan before the end of the month. The Frenchman needs to continue his development and one performance could tip the scales either direction. Play well and he could see more minutes as the season progresses, but play poorly and he could make another temporary switch. Saul’s improvement has seen talks of a midfield transfer cool down in recent weeks. Consistency is key though.

Tuchel’s got a lot of decisions to make before the calendar flips into February. The COVID-19 outbreak in SW6 looks to be on the back end, so the second leg against Spurs could represent one of the last chances a handful of players get to impress the manager in a plethora of positions.

What are some of the things you’ll be looking for in the contest? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!