Chelsea will look to continue their strong start to the season when they host League Two side Barrow at Stamford Bridge in the EFL Cup on Tuesday.
There are currently 64 places separating the two teams in the English football hierarchy ahead of this match - the biggest gap between any third-round tie.
Latest Chelsea vs Barrow team information
It is not beyond the realms of possibility that Maresca will make 11 changes for this match, given the size of Chelsea's squad and the quality of their opponents.
In-form duo Palmer and Jackson will almost certainly be rested, and Maresca have plenty of options to replace them in attacking areas.
Christopher Nkunku is expected to start, and he could be part of an attacking quartet alongside Pedro Neto, Joao Felix and Mykhaylo Mudryk.
Injury-wise, Reece James remains sidelined, but Romeo Lavia and Malo Gusto are slowly returning to the first team, and this game could be an opportunity for Maresca to give those players some minutes if they pass their fitness tests.
Despite their recent good form, Clemence made a number of changes to the Barrow squad at the weekend, and it paid off as they came away with all three points.
Wyll Stanway could return to goal after being replaced by Paul Farman at the weekend, and Neo Eccleston should also start after returning from a short absence, coming off the bench in the 2-0 win.
Former Everton winger Katia Kouyate was used and impressed against Newport so could keep her place ahead of Chris Popov, while Chris Stokes is also expected to feature after making his debut from Morecambe.
Latest Chelsea vs Barrow predicted lineup
Chelsea:
Jorgensen; Disasi, Badiashile, Tosin, Colwill; Renato Veiga, Dewsbury-Hall; Pedro Neto, Joao Felix, Mudryk; Nkunku
Barrow:
Stanway; Feely, Vassell, Stokes, Jackson; Campbell, Foley, Spence; Kouyate, Garner, Newby
Latest Chelsea vs Barrow football review
Despite the off-field troubles that surrounded the club throughout the summer, Enzo Maresca did a great job of keeping the players focused on the on-field issues, and the results have been impressive.
A convincing 3-0 win over West Ham United at the London Stadium on Saturday saw them finish in the top four, keep back-to-back clean sheets for the first time in a year, and extend their run of form in the Premier League to just two defeats in 20 games.
With victory over West Ham, Maresca became the first manager since his mentor Pep Guardiola to win his first three away games in the Premier League, with the Manchester City boss doing so in 2015.
Nicolas Jackson's double inside 18 minutes was the quickest by a Chelsea player since Didier Drogba did the same in 2005, and Cole Palmer scored a brilliant third on the counter-attack early in the second half.
With Chelsea set to play on all four fronts this season, their priority will be their game against Brighton & Hove Albion at the weekend.
The Blues' Conference League campaign begins next week against Gent, and for both that and the Carabao Cup clash with Barrow, Maresca is likely to make a full squad change.
This was their first domestic cup tie of the season, after being exempted from the second round due to their participation in European competition in August.
Despite their success in the 21st century, Chelsea have not won the EFL Cup since 2015, having lost three finals since then, including February's final, when they were knocked out by a youthful Liverpool side at Wembley.
Barrow's reward for reaching the third round for the first time in over half a century is a dream trip to Stamford Bridge.
The club have only returned to the EFL Cup for the last five years, following promotion from the National League, and the in-form fourth-tier side will be hoping for a good showing here.
After being knocked out in the first round by Bolton Wanderers last season, Barrow got revenge by beating Port Vale and Derby County to set up this tie with Chelsea.
Stephen Clemence's side head into the game top of League Two following Saturday's 2-0 win over Newport County, having picked up 16 points from 21. Even with the expected full squad change, Chelsea should have no trouble reaching the fourth round in one of the most lopsided fixtures in the competition this season.
Barrow are in excellent form, but this will be a completely different challenge, with Chelsea's reserve squad containing a number of quality internationals, and their quality will be evident.
Chelsea vs Barrow score prediction
Based on the above football comments, we and the world's leading football sites have given the following results for the Chelsea vs Barrow match:
- Sportsmole: Chelsea 4-0 Barrow
- WhoScore: Chelsea 3-1 Barrow
- Our prediction: Chelsea 4-1 Barrow
When and where to watch Chelsea vs Barrow live?
To watch the Chelsea vs Barrow match live in the Carabao Cup at 1:45 a.m. on September 25, viewers can watch it on K+ Sport, K+PM or online sports channels. Wishing you happy football watching moments.
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