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Team News: Xabi Alonso tweaks his formation with new midfielder added and Neto pushed up
Romeo Lavia of Chelsea
Romeo Lavia (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Chelsea are taking on Liverpool in the EFL Cup tonight, and the teams are in! Xabi Alonso has rotated his team for tonight’s game.

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The teams are out for Chelsea’s game against Liverpool tonight, and there’s less rotation than we suspected.

Perhaps knowing that Saturday’s defeat was a big blow to morale and the fans, Xabi Alonso has only tweaked his usual team.

Mike Penders keeps his place in goal, and Josh Acheampong and Maxence Lacroix keep theirs in defence. Levi Colwill is rested, with Wesley Fofana coming in. It looks like a back four, with Malo Gusto at right back.

In midfield it’s Moises Caicedo and Jordan Henderson again, but this time joined by Romeo Lavia in a three.

The front three has Pedro Neto and Morgan Rogers flanking Danny Welbeck.

You can see the team in the post embedded here:

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) October 28, 2026

Formation tweak brings extra midfielder in to face Liverpool

Malo Gusto of Chelsea looks on during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Chelsea FC and Hull City at Stamford Bridge
Malo Gusto (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Chelsea’s system in recent weeks has been a hybrid 3/4 at the back, with Acheampong a sort of centre back, sort of right back, with Neto somewhere between winger and wing back. The switch to a midfield 3 makes this much more clearly a four at the back system, with either Gusto or Acheampong on the left.

In other news…

Joao Pedro is out tonight, and there are rumours of Chelsea interest in a new backup for him.

Jamie Gittens is having a disaster of a time at Chelsea, with injuries constantly preventing him from getting a run in the team.

Our predicted team for tonight’s game shows a line-up which Gittens would have been hoping to be in were he fit.

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