The Brighton coach, Roberto De Zerbi, stated that he is glad to greet the Ecuadorian Moisés Caicedo and the Spanish goalkeeper Robert Sánchez, before the match against Chelsea, for the third round of the Carabao Cup, which will take place on Wednesday, September 27 at Stamford Bridge.
"I am eager to see them, I will always be happy to greet my former players. Now they are not with us, but I will embrace them with pleasure," said the Italian coach, who showed his affection and respect for the Ecuadorian player last season.
Chelsea, now 'Niño Moi's' team, comes to the match amid criticism and pessimism. They have failed to score in their last three matches (against Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, and Aston Villa), currently occupying the 14th position in the Premier League standings after six matches, which is the team's worst start since the 1978-79 season.
"We have always known that a new project is difficult. The situation was a bit unstable this preseason," highlighted the Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino in the pre-match press conference.
The coach said that he could now count on Armando Broja and Ben Chilwell who have recovered from their injuries and that he could repeat the starting lineup that played last Sunday against Aston Villa in the Premier League. In that 11, the Ecuadorian Moses Caicedo, recovered from his knee injury, appeared.
Brighton, with Pervis Estupiñán, is the favorite in this clash. They are currently in third place in the Premier League with 5 wins and 1 loss. The Ecuadorian full-back is going through a great moment, in the first match he was chosen as the player of the match, and last Sunday, he provided an assist to the Japanese player Mitoma, who sealed the 3-1 victory over Bournemouth.
"We need the players in the best condition if we want to compete every three days. We have to change the starting lineup and make the best decisions for each match," declared coach De Zerbi.
The Seagulls are participating in three events this season: the Premier League, the Carabao Cup, and for the first time, they are in the UEFA Europa League.
Regarding Chelsea's current situation, coach De Zerbi said: "We have great respect for Pochettino and Chelsea. They have a great team, but I don't know about the problems they have."