Four Chelsea players set for chance to impress in Carabao Cup clash at Lincoln | OneFootball

Enzo Maresca to name much-changed team for third-round tie and hand opportunities to fringe players and youngsters

Your matchday briefing on Chelsea, featuring team news and expert analysis from Dom Smith

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Enzo Maresca says he would rather Chelsea be facing Premier League opponents than League One side high-fliers Lincoln in the Carabao Cup.

Alejandro Garnacho

The Argentine is yet to start for Chelsea since his £40million move from Manchester United, so this could be a good opportunity.

Introduced from the bench at Brentford and Bayern Munich, he did not feature at all at former club Manchester United because Wesley Fofana asked to be substituted near the end of the game.

Alejandro Garnacho is expected to make his first Chelsea start

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The LNER Stadium has a tight pitch that will not allow attackers a huge amount of space to exploit, particularly wide players like Garnacho, so he must create space himself and take his chance to keep the pressure on the likes of Estevao and Pedro Neto.

The versatile defender has played a bit-part role so far for the Blues but is highly likely to start at Lincoln.

At 19, Hato has a lot of developing still to do but is already a very credible option at centre-back, which is his preferred position, and at left-back, where he may start on Tuesday night.

Jorrel Hato is set to line up in defence

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The £37m summer arrival from Ajax may take time to adapt to the English game. This Carabao Cup tie could be an important part of that bedding-in process for a full Netherlands international with one eye on next summer's World Cup.

Josh Acheampong

Since filling in for the injured Tosin Adarabioyo and shining as one of Chelsea’s best performers on a tough day against Crystal Palace on the opening weekend, Acheampong has not taken to the pitch again.

A regular on the Chelsea bench, the 19-year-old was one of the breakout stars of their Conference League-winning campaign last season, alongside fellow academy graduate Tyrique George, who has a good chance of leading the line at Lincoln as the centre-forward.

Josh Acheampong will be hoping for a chance to stake his claim for more minutes

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Acheampong can play at right-back too but is likelier to start in central defence as Maresca looks to give rest to some - but not all - of Tosin, Fofana and Trevoh Chalobah.

Facundo Buonanotte

The loan signing of Buonanotte from Brighton was one of the stranger Premier League transfers of the summer window but does, in fairness, give Chelsea much greater cover for Cole Palmer in the No10 position.

That could take on heightened significance in the coming weeks after Chelsea’s managerial staff met with the medical team to discuss the best approach to Palmer’s lingering groin issue.

Facundo Buonanotte could get more gametime in the coming weeks in the absence of Cole Palmer

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Whether or not Buonanotte is to benefit from further big-match minutes due to Palmer’s problem, he certainly looks poised to step in as Chelsea’s chief playmaker in Lincolnshire, having only previously played 45 minutes in the 2-2 draw with Brentford.

There are other players who will also look to cash in on rare chances to play from the off.

These include Jamie Gittens, whose move from Borussia Dortmund for up to £51m is yet to look like shrewd investment after a number of below-par displays in which the winger seemed to play within himself. Lincoln represents a chance for him.

Andrey Santos will value a start, too, as he prepares to come in for Enzo Fernandez or, more likely, Moises Caicedo.

George - whose Deadline Day move to Fulham broke down - could start up front as Joao Pedro is rested and with Liam Delap injured and Marc Guiu cup-tied following his involvement for Sunderland in the previous round.

Maresca has said he will also name some academy stars on the bench, which could include the in-form Genesis Antwi and Shim Mheuka, and his personal favourite, 16-year-old midfielder Reggie Walsh.