Antonio Conte will stick with Chelsea’s blueprint in the EFL Cup after landing 'tough' draw with Everton

Antonio Conte has admitted that Chelsea have been handed a ‘tough’ Fourth Round draw in the EFL Cup, with Premier League rivals Everton set to visit Stamford Bridge, but that he plans to continue to rotate his squad.

The Blues, who booked their place in the next round with a resounding 5-1 win over Nottingham Forest – including a hat-trick for Michy Batshuayi and a debut goal for Charly Musonda, have already beaten Ronald Koeman’s side at home in the league this season.

While Conte is under no illusions as to the difficulty of the draw, the Italian has revealed that, injuries permitting, he will continue to give chances to younger players, having dished out four home debuts on Wednesday night.

“It is a tough game,” said Conte.

“You know very well that they are one of the best teams in the league.

“We are ready to face the next round and we have to continue in this way.

“We are a great club and we have to be competitive in every game, if we continue this way we will give the chance to the same players.

“Now it is difficult to prepare the starting eleven, as you don’t know what will happen in this period.

“We must go game by game. When I have this type of answer I am very happy because it means we are working well.”

The Toffees are set to make the trip to Stamford Bridge on the week commencing 23rd October.