January 2022

Team news, stats and how to watch ahead of Tottenham vs Chelsea in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-finals on Wednesday; kick-off 7.45pm.

Team news

Tottenham will not have any of their injured players back for the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg with Chelsea.

Spurs, who are trailing 2-0 from the first leg, are without Heung-Min Son (muscle), Steven Bergwijn, Eric Dier (both calf) and Cristian Romero (hamstring) for the game.

It remains to be seen whether Tanguy Ndombele will be involved after he was booed off the pitch by supporters at the weekend.

Tottenham provisional squad: Lloris, Gollini, Emerson, Sanchez, Tanganga, Doherty, Davies, Rodon, Reguilon, Hojbjerg, Ndombele, Winks, Skipp, Alli, Moura, Gil, Lo Celso, Kane, Scarlett.

Thiago Silva and N'Golo Kante could return for Chelsea after Covid-19 isolation. Brazil defender Silva and France midfielder Kante were bidding to prove their fitness in training on Tuesday.

Cesar Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger and Marcos Alonso can return having been rested in the FA Cup win over Chesterfield, but Trevoh Chalobah remains sidelined with hamstring trouble.

Chelsea provisional squad: Arrizabalaga, Bettinelli, Silva, Rudiger, Christensen, Sarr, Azpilicueta, Alonso, Kante, Kovacic, Jorginho, Niguez, Barkley, Loftus-Cheek, Mount, Pulisic, Havertz, Ziyech, Hudson-Odoi, Lukaku, Vale, Hall.

Conte: I've had good transfer meeting with Levy, Paratici

Antonio Conte says he has held productive talks with chairman Daniel Levy and managing director of football Fabio Paratici about players he wants to bring to Tottenham.

Conte has made an assessment of his squad's capabilities and says recruitment decisions now lay in the hands of others at the club.

Speaking ahead of Wednesday's Carabao Cup semi-final second leg visit of Chelsea, live on Sky Sports, Conte said: "First of all we have spoken about the situation. It was a good meeting because the owner and (Fabio) Paratici, they started together this season.

"I came in the middle. For sure, they know the situation better than me. It was a good meeting to tell them my thoughts after the two months I spent in Tottenham.

"What I want? I spoke with the club and I have my thoughts about the situation and I think the most important thing is the club must decide the best way to go.

"I don't have expectations. I am a coach and I know that we have to solve many problems. For me, the best possible way is to get the most out of my players and working with squad.

"That is the only way I can improve the situation and the squad. The club knows very well our situation and have to take the best decision.

"I don't know [about other clubs' transfer plans for January]. I have said to the club my vision and what I have found here. After this the club has to decide the best way the club has to go. I'm a coach and I teach football and try to improve players and the level of this squad.

"Then we'll see the decision of the club, if there is the possibility [to improve] or not. For me, it is important to be honest with the club about my vision, expectation and what I have found and how we can improve."

Opta stats

Tottenham are looking to become just the second team to reach the League Cup final having lost the semi-final first leg by more than one goal, after Aston Villa in the 1993-94 campaign.

The previous match was the fourth time Tottenham have lost the first leg of a League Cup semi-final tie; they were eliminated from the first two, but progressed last time against Chelsea in 2001-02 (1-2 first leg, 5-1 second leg).

In all competitions, Chelsea have progressed from each of their last 13 two-legged ties when winning the first leg, since going out to Liverpool in the 2006-07 Champions League semi-final. When winning by more than one goal, the Blues have been eliminated just once - against Barcelona in the 1999-00 Champions League quarter-final (3-1 home, 1-5 away).

Tottenham have lost just one of their five League Cup home matches against Chelsea (W2 D2), losing 3-0 in a quarter-final replay in January 1991.

Chelsea have beaten Tottenham twice already this season, including a 3-0 Premier League victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The last time they beat Spurs three times in the same season was 2001-02 (4), while that was also the last time they won two away games against Spurs in the same campaign.

Tottenham striker Harry Kane scored six goals in his first 12 meetings with Chelsea in all competitions but has failed to find the net in any of his last six against the Blues. The England captain had just one shot, and no touches in the opposition box in the first leg.

Chelsea's Kai Havertz has scored in all three of his EFL Cup appearances, netting five goals in total. He could become the first Chelsea player to score in both legs of a League Cup semi-final tie since Mark Hughes against Arsenal in 1997-98.

Having reached the FA Cup and Champions League finals last season, Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is looking to become only the eighth different manager to lead an English team to the final of both major domestic competitions, and the European Cup/Champions League. The others were Bob Paisley, Brian Clough, Alex Ferguson, Rafael Benítez, Arsène Wenger, Avram Grant and Pep Guardiola.