Lincoln City vs Chelsea: Confirmed officials for Carabao Cup third round tie | OneFootball

The officials have been confirmed for Chelsea’s Carabao Cup tie against Lincoln City at the LNER Stadium on Tuesday night.

Chelsea face the in-form League One side, who are currently third in their domestic division having lost just once so far from their opening nine league matches.

Enzo Maresca's side are expected to cruise through into the fourth round, however the 45-year-old knows it won't be straightforward, with Chelsea looking to bounce back from defeats to Bayern Munich and Manchester United.

Chelsea's defence, which is likely to be heavily changed for the cup tie, has been criticised for costly errors in recent matches, making them unlikely for the Premier League title this season.

Maresca is focused on improving on Chelsea's Conference League and Club World Cup triumph with further success this season, with the Carabao Cup the first opportunity for domestic silverware.

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"I think we improved a lot last season," said Maresca pre-match. "For instance, if you see the last three or four tables in the last three or four years, we closed the gap with the first one, two or three.

"For me, this season, the main target is to continue to improve players, continue to improve the team and try to close that gap. This is, for me, the main focus for this season."

Chelsea will be without Benoit Badiashile, Levi Colwill, Romeo Lavia, Dario Essugo and Liam Delap against Lincoln, with Cole Palmer a doubt for the Blues to a groin problem.

As Tuesday's tie awaits, the officials have been confirmed for the Carabao Cup clash.

The EFL have confirmed that Matthew Donohue will take charge of the meeting between Lincoln and Chelsea.

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Assistants

Matthew Donohue will be supported by Matthew Smith and Jacob Graham on the touchline.

Fourth Official

David Rock has been named as the Fourth Official for Tuesday's match, with the referee overseeing conduct within the two dugouts, and the behaviour of Michael Skubala and Enzo Maresca.

VAR/Assistant VAR