Derby County boss Frank Lampard has warned Chelsea that his side have nothing to lose at Stamford Bridge as no one expects the Rams to knock the Blues out of the EFL Cup.
The Rams pulled off an upset in the previous round where they beat Manchester United on penalties to set up a clash against Lampard’s old club Chelsea.
Derby were held to a 1-1 draw by Middlesbrough in their last Championship game, but remained in the playoff spots, as their good form continued.
Lampard is now relishing the chance to return to the club at which he became a legend, but is looking to take the pressure off his players, insisting no one expects the Rams to turn over Maurizio Sarri's men.
“Looking forward to it myself and looking forward to it as a team. We are playing pretty well and it’ll be a massive test for us”, he told RamsTV after the draw against Middlesbrough.
“We're not expected to win and that’s understandable because of the team Chelsea are, but we should try and enjoy it and give a good account of ourselves.”
Derby are unbeaten in their last five Championship games and are just four points behind league leaders Sheffield United.
Chelsea put four past Burnley in their last Premier League outing, and Derby are likely to have to play at the top of their game if they are to replicate the last round’s surprise result.
