Michael Carrick recalls his playing days at Stamford Bridge with Manchester United ahead of the EFL clash
Middlesbrough head coach Michael Carrick gets nostalgic about his return to Chelsea, according to BBC. The former Manchester United man has visited Stamford Bridge on several occasions during his 12-year stint with the Red Devils.
He said:
“The FA Cup stands out – I lost the FA Cup to them – but managed to beat them in the Champions League final. The league has gone both ways, so there have been some big ones. I’ve had some good nights at Stamford Bridge, had some setbacks, so a bit of mixed feelings, really.”
Michael Carrick’s side won the first leg by a fine margin. The former United man understands the importance of the second leg and believes it could ‘swing either way.’
The last time Chelsea faced back-to-back defeat against Middlesbrough was in 2006. Mauricio Pochettino will do his best not to end up on the wrong side of the match again.
The predicted line-up for tonight’s clash
The Blues boss will be without Christopher Nkunku, Romeo Lavia, Reece James, Marc Cucurella, Robert Sanchez, Malo Gusto and Wesley Fofana. The Stamford Bridge outfit will gun for the finals with a depleted squad. This has given Boro an advantage even before the kick-off.
According to Football London, Mauricio Poichettino said the game is important for his team and will be relying on the ‘home advantage’ to beat a strong Middlesbrough team. Mauricio Pochettino will go with his regular defensive option with Petrovic on goal and Disasi, Silva, Colwill and Chilwell as the last line of defence.
Enzo Fernandez, Gallagher and Caicedo should be the ideal midfield lineup. Cole Palmer, Broja and Sterling could lead the attacking spearhead. Mudryk and Madueke will be a strong presence on the bench.
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A silverware should salvage Mauricio Pochettino’s season. The club is in shambles and they are close to grabbing the EFL trophy. Should Chelsea win the clash, they will be facing Liverpool or Fulham in the final.