No Palmer, no excuses, as Chelsea face tricky Lincoln City test | OneFootball

Chelsea’s midweek trip to Lincoln City in the Carabao Cup is a test that could define how seriously Enzo Maresca’s side treats domestic silverware this season.

After last year’s Europa Conference League triumph, the Blues are back in the Champions League, where the level is far higher and opportunities to lift the trophy are slim.

That reality makes this competition even more important, particularly given how far Chelsea remain from the Premier League’s leading lights.

The 2-1 defeat to Manchester United last weekend underlined the gap. Arsenal and Liverpool look a step ahead, while Chelsea’s rebuild continues to encounter inconsistencies.

Maresca accepted as much when he stressed that ‘the main target is to continue to improve players, continue to improve the team and try to close that gap’.

That ambition must be paired with silverware. For a young squad still learning to win together, domestic cups provide an opportunity to develop the mentality required to compete at the very top.

Chelsea will go into this tie without their most reliable attacking presence. Cole Palmer’s groin problem has sidelined him, a blow made heavier by his willingness to push through the pain at Old Trafford.

“He did already a huge effort on Saturday to try to play,” Maresca explained. “Unfortunately, it was painful, so we decided to change it. It is more day by day, week by week, game by game to see how it is.”

Palmer’s absence leaves a creative void. He has been the player capable of turning tight games and lifting the tempo, and Chelsea’s attack will have to find a new rhythm without him.

Maresca’s words carried caution. “Even if these are the games that worry me most, because you can slip very easily in these kinds of games,” he added.

“Football is full of these kind of games and I am very worried about that.”

Lincoln will smell an upset. The LNER Stadium has been a fortress, and with a top-flight scalp on offer, the hosts will bring intensity that Chelsea must be ready for.

The task is more challenging without Palmer, but that is precisely why Chelsea cannot afford to treat this tie lightly.