Many Chelsea fans will be eagerly anticipating the Carabao Cup clash with Luton Town, with the game providing an opportunity for a number of players yet to feature in front of the Stamford Bridge faithful.
Xabi Alonso has hinted that there will not be too many changes, particularly with the lack of European football likely to place greater emphasis on the domestic cup competitions. That could see the likes of Estevao, Jamie Gittens, Pedro Neto and Danny Welbeck handed starts.
While those players will naturally attract plenty of attention, there are two others who could have an extra set of eyes on them, albeit for very different reasons.
The first player to watch is Mike Penders. He is expected to start in goal for Chelsea, and this represents a great opportunity to stake his claim for a regular place, particularly with confidence in Robert Sánchez seemingly low at the moment. While the opposition are two divisions below Chelsea’s level, a strong performance can only help his case and could even put him in contention for a starting spot at the weekend.
A performance that could save Chelsea £10-15million.
At Strasbourg last season, Penders conceded 47 goals in 33 appearances, as well as 11 in 12 Conference League games, in a side that played in what could be described as an open, free-flowing style. I’ll admit I haven’t seen a huge amount of him in goal, but at 6ft 7in, does he remind you of anyone? There could be a potential Thibaut Courtois regen on the cards, with, hopefully, a little more loyalty.
The second is the man who gets talked about far too much, by myself included, and certainly by the press. Enzo Fernández could be in line to start against Luton Town as he looks to build up his fitness and rhythm following his late arrival from the World Cup. The Argentine is heavily linked with a move to Manchester City, so the reaction to his name from The Shed End could offer an interesting glimpse into how Chelsea supporters feel about the speculation.
If he doesn’t feature, or is only named on the bench, there is also a plausible reason to read into that. With a potential £120 million deal on the table, Chelsea may be reluctant to take any unnecessary risks with an important asset if a move is genuinely being considered — particularly with the same transfer hierarchy we now trust having shown an ability to turn a profit on a number of players who were hardly household names.
The result might not be as important as the performance for a few select players.
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