Chelsea’s Carabao Cup test: No Palmer, no excuses, as Maresca faces tricky Lincoln City | OneFootball

Chelsea’s trip to Lincoln City in the Carabao Cup might not carry the glamour of a Champions League night, but it is a test that could define how seriously Enzo Maresca’s side treat domestic silverware this season.

After last year’s 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 are a chance to build the mentality needed to compete at the very top.

Yet Chelsea will go into this tie without their most reliable attacking presence. Cole Palmer’s groin problem has left him sidelined, 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. “But 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 without him Chelsea’s attack will have to find a new rhythm.

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

Lincoln, unbeaten in ten and flying high in League One, 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.

Cup football often exposes complacency. For Maresca, this is a chance to show that his Chelsea can approach every competition with the seriousness required to keep winning.

Without Palmer, the task is harder, but that is precisely why Chelsea cannot afford to treat this tie lightly.