Xabi Alonso Considers Changes for Leeds Cup Tie
Xabi Alonso ripped up a few assumptions in the last round of the Carabao Cup. Faced with League One Luton Town at Stamford Bridge, many expected the Chelsea head coach to rotate heavily, protect his stars and coast through. He didn’t. He went strong.
Now the situation repeats, but the stakes feel a touch higher. Leeds United, sharper and more dangerous than Luton, arrive in west London on Wednesday night, with the tie wedged between two Premier League fixtures in a hectic week for the Blues. Alonso has more minutes in the legs of his squad, more data, and more reason to rest his key men.
This time, he may blink.
Two of football.london’s writers, Bobby Vincent and Jake Stokes, have laid out the XIs they would pick if they were in Alonso’s technical area. On one thing, they are aligned: this is the night to protect Cole Palmer.
Bobby Vincent: rotate hard, rest the stars
For Vincent, this is exactly the kind of game Chelsea must use to keep promises and build depth.
Top of his list: Mike Penders. The Belgian goalkeeper, told he would get the chance to fight for the No.1 shirt this season, needs minutes, and the domestic cups are his clearest route to them. Vincent has him starting.
He would also strip things back tactically. A straightforward back four, giving Alonso another look at a different structure while keeping future opponents guessing.
His defence: Malo Gusto at right-back, Josh Acheampong and Levi Colwill in central defence, with Pep Chavarria on the left. The one caveat is Colwill’s fitness after he missed the Arsenal defeat, named only on the bench following a knock in the week. If he’s ready, he plays.
Midfield is where the options thin out. There will be a strong temptation to blood youngsters like Reggie Watson and Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli, but Vincent suspects Alonso may lean on experience again. He sees Reece James starting once more, with the Chelsea captain paired by Valentin Barco in a double pivot.
Ahead of them, Vincent goes bold with youth and freshness. Geovany Quenda on the right, Jamie Gittens on the left, and Estevao Willian operating as the No.10. The man to lead the line: Danny Welbeck.
The logic is clear. Rest Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Joao Pedro, keep them fresh for Hull City’s visit to Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Saturday, and hand responsibility to those scrapping for a bigger role.
Bobby Vincent’s XI (4-2-3-1): Penders; Gusto, Acheampong, Colwill, Chavarria; James, Barco; Quenda, Estevao, Gittens; Welbeck.
Jake Stokes: silverware matters, but the league comes first
Stokes looks at the same fixture and reaches a similar conclusion on rotation, but with a slightly different route to get there.
He knows Alonso will want a trophy on his CV in his first season at Chelsea. The Carabao Cup is a realistic target. Even so, Stokes believes the Spaniard will place huge value on snapping back into form in the Premier League at the weekend, and that will shape his selection.
That doesn’t mean a throwaway XI. Stokes expects Alonso to treat Leeds with full respect, just without the kind of heavyweight line-up that swept aside Luton in the previous round.
Again, Penders gets the gloves. This is his competition now.
In defence, Stokes’ ideal scenario includes a long-awaited return for Aaron Anselmino from injury. If that comeback doesn’t materialise, he sees Maxence Lacroix stepping in again, flanked by Colwill and Acheampong. Naming Acheampong allows Alonso to flex between a back three and a back four mid-game, on paper a right-back, in practice a right-sided centre-half when Chelsea build.
That fluidity, Stokes argues, is key. It opens the door for Estevao, Quenda and Gittens to all feature and stake their claims.
In midfield, he leans towards a pragmatic call: Gusto stepping inside to partner Barco, giving Romeo Lavia and James a breather. The need for Jordan Henderson’s return from injury grows with every match; until then, Alonso has to improvise.
Stokes would also like to see Watson or Nicoll-Jazuli involved at some stage. Their chances, he admits, probably depend on the game state at half-time. If Chelsea are in control, the door opens.
Up front, he joins Vincent in making the same decision. Welbeck to start, Joao Pedro to rest.
Between Vincent’s aggressive rotation and Stokes’ more flexible approach, a pattern emerges. This is a night for Penders, for Welbeck, for the next wave to breathe, while the likes of Palmer and Joao Pedro watch from the bench.
Alonso shocked people once in this competition. With Leeds coming to town and the league campaign demanding a response at the weekend, does he dare go even lighter this time?
