Chelsea face Lincoln City in Carabao Cup third round

Chelsea travel to Lincoln on Tuesday evening for a Carabao Cup third round tie that pits the Premier League club against in-form League One side Lincoln City at the LNER Stadium, commonly known as Sincil Bank. Kickoff is scheduled for 7.45pm BST as Enzo Maresca's side aim to end a three-match winless run while Lincoln, unbeaten in 10 across all competitions, hope to engineer a cup upset and secure a rare financial windfall.

The match represents a chance for Chelsea to halt successive away defeats at Bayern Munich and Manchester United and a draw with Brentford. Chelsea will be without first-choice goalkeeper Robert Sánchez, who is suspended following a red card at Old Trafford, and the availability of forward Cole Palmer is in doubt because of a persistent groin problem. A number of other senior players remain sidelined or being managed for fitness, and Maresca is expected to rotate his squad, giving opportunities to fringe and academy players.

Lincoln arrive in confident mood after wins over Harrogate and Burton Albion in earlier rounds and a strong domestic start. The Imps have taken 18 points from nine League One fixtures and sit third in the table. Manager Michael Skubala...