The Capital One Cup thread 2014/15

[The Lusophone]

Is Dave not available? I know he missed the United game.

[stokeriño]

Dave is still suspended because his straight red was a three match ban.

Ivanovic is serving his one game ban for the best possible match...

Remy is injured. Costa is injured. Ramires is *probably* injured. Drogba just played 95 minutes and is probably spending the rest of the week in an ice box.

[DavidMarrio]

Not looking forward to the Swansea game tonight... I imagine we'll be resting a lot of players and our defense against Bony is a match made in heaven for Bony.

Still anything can happen. Hoping Suso starts tonight, Markovic is due a good game and Lambert and Lucas I reckon will start as well. Hopefully it won't go to another 14-13 pen shootout.

[Hobo]

I could see the formation being something like what finished against Hull with Lambert and Balotelli up front.

[DavidMarrio]

I'd be quite happy with two up top whether it be Lambert and Balotelli or Lambert and Borini. We did look a lot better in that second half.

I imagine Mignolet, Johnson, Skrtel, Toure, Enrique, Lucas, Markovic, Suso, Coutinho, Lambert and Balotelli will be the line up. Unless he gives someone like Rossiter another start.

[Liam]

I'll be intrigued by what team Fulham end up putting out tonight. See whether they feel like making a bit more of a run at this competition, or focus on the league alone.

[Hobo]

Jones, Kolo, Lambert and Borini all start. Henderson captains. Balotelli on the bench and no Gerrard.

This'll be interesting.

[EddieG]

Mickey Mouse cup anyway

[stokeriño]

I was wrong, Drogba is the bionic man or something and starts:

Cech, Christensen, Zouma, Cahill, Filipe Luis, Mikel, Ake, Salah, Oscar, Schurrle, Drogba

Subs: Schwarzer, Terry, Matic, Baker, Willian, Hazard, Brown

[Lineker]

Shrewsbury captain Liam Lawrence is still not ready to start having suffered a niggle that ruled him out of the game against York last week. He is on the bench along with striker Andy Mangan, who returned from a knee injury to play in the match against Portsmouth last Saturday. Chelsea name four players that started against Manchester United at the weekend, with Didier Drogba leading the line. Kurt Zouma, who turned 20 on Monday, is in the defence alongside debutant Christensen and experienced pair Gary Cahill and Filipe Luis. Nathan Ake is in midfield alongside John Mikel Obi, with Oscar, Andre Schurrle and Mohamed Salah.

Shrewsbury XI: Leutwiler, Grandison, Demetriou, Woods, Goldson, Collins, Wesolowski, Knight-Percival, Grant, Grimmer, Akpa Akpro.

Chelsea XI: Cech; Christensen, Zouma, Cahill, Filipe Luis, Mikel, Ake, Salah, Oscar, Schurrle, Drogba.

As expected, Brendan Rodgers makes wholesale changes - nine, in fact - to the Liverpool team which started Saturday's 0-0 home draw against Premier League rivals Hull City. Only two men survive - full-back Javi Manquillo and centre-back Dejan Lovren. They are joined in a back four by Kolo Toure and Glen Johnson, just in front of keeper Brad Jones, who makes his first Liverpool start since 16 February. England striker Rickie Lambert starts for just the third time and is aiming to score his first goal for his hometown club. International team-mate Jordan Henderson skippers the side in Steven Gerrard's absence, while there is also no place in the matchday squad for Raheem Sterling. Ex-Liverpool midfielder Jonjo Shelvey faces his former club as one of six men to keep their place in the Swansea side. But striker Wilfried Bony, who was a reported transfer target for Liverpool in the summer, drops to the bench after his two-goal salvo against Leicester at the weekend. Bafetimbi Gomis replaces him, with Marvin Emnes and Nathan Dyer also coming into the starting XI. Veteran German goalkeeper Gerhard Tremmel again starts in the League Cup ahead of Lukasz Fabianski, while young Scottish midfielder Jay Fulton also makes a rare appearance.

Liverpool XI: Jones, Manquillo, Lovren, Toure, Johnson, Lucas, Henderson, Coutinho, Markovic, Lambert, Borini.

Swansea XI: Tremmel, Rangel, Fernandez, Williams, Taylor, Fulton, Shelvey, Emnes, Dyer, Montero, Gomis.

Eddie Howe's Bournemouth side may have thrashed Birmingham City 8-0 on Saturday, but the boss rotates his pack making 10 changes in all. Only Tommy Elphick retains his place, Yann Kermorgant returns in attack after a three-game ban and he will be partnered by Tokelo Rantie who notched his first goals of the season in the rout at St Andrew's. The Baggies also make 10 changes and their fans will be pleased to see £10m summer signing Brown Ideye back from injury to lead the attack alongside Victor Anichebe. Only defender Craig Dawson retains his place.

Bournemouth XI: Camp, Smith, Elphick, Cargill, Harte, Fraser, O'the DEMON the DEMON the DEMON Kane, Gosling, Stanislas, Kermorgant, Rantie.

West Brom XI: Myhill, Gamboa, Dawson, McAuley, Davidson, Baird, O'Neil, Mulumbu, Blanco, Anichebe, Ideye.

Fulham caretaker boss Kit Symons makes eight changes to his Fulham team. This includes handing a debut to 20-year-old defender Stephen Arthurworrey. Other notable changes see Gabor Kiraly replace Marcus Bettinelli in goal and Patrick Roberts and Moussa Dembele start in attack in place of Ross McCormack and Hugo Rodallega. Championship leaders Derby make five changes from their 2-1 home defeat to Wigan at the weekend. Kelle Roos makes just his second appearance in goal in place of Jack Butland, Zak Whitbread comes into defence, Omar Mascarell and Jeff Hendrick start in midfield and Simon Dawkins starts in place of Jordan Ibe, who he replaced midway through Saturday's game.

Fulham XI: Kiraly, Zverotic, Hutchinson, Arthurworrey, Kavanagh, Hoogland, Hyndman, Williams, Roberts, Ruiz, Dembele.

Derby XI: Roos, Christie, Keogh, Buxton, Forsyth, Mascarell, Hendrick, Bryson, Russell, Dawkins, Martin.

MK Dons make three changes for the visit of Sheffield United. Defender Kyle McFadzean and forwards Dean Bowditch and Benik Afobe come in for Antony Kay, Daniel Powell and Will Grigg. The Blades make five changes from the win over Crewe at the weekend. This includes the return of Jay McEveley in defence and Marc McNulty up front. Ben Davies, Louis Reed and Harrison McGahey all start with the suspended Chris Basham, on-loan Paddy McCarthy, James Wallace, Jose Baxter and Jamal Campbell-Ryce dropping out.

MK Dons XI: Martin, Spence, Flanagan, McFadzean, Lewington, Potter, Alli, Bowditch, Reeves, Carruthers, Afobe.

Sheffield United XI: Howard, Alcock, McGahey, McEveley, Harris, Davies, Doyle, Scougall, Reed, Murphy, McNulty.

[Lineker]

Late change for Shrewsbury - Lawrence in for Wesolowski who was injured in the warm-up.

[Chris2K]

Andre Schurrle apparently has decided he's going to score from 25+ yards tonight regardless of the situation.

[stokeriño]

Andre Schurrle apparently has decided he's going to score from 25+ yards tonight regardless of the situation.

He's been like this for weeks. Started in the Bolton cup game when he bossed the match and had a tonne of chances but luck never went his way. Same thing happened in one of the CL home matches shortly thereafter. I think now he's just bloody frustrated and really wants to get a goal.

[Liam]

The real Moussa Dembele has scored to put Fulham 1-0 up!

[stokeriño]

Drogba again! 1-0 to Chels.

[Hobo]

0-0 thus far.

Swansea had a late flurry at the end of the half.

[Liam]

Fulham are now 3-2 down after being 2-0 up >_>

[stokeriño]

Shrewsbury equalise! Interesting...

[Colly]

Looking like some potential cup upsets tonight.

[stokeriño]

Own-goal off Willian's cross restores Chelsea's lead