Cardiff City meet Chelsea in the opening Quarter-Final of 2025-26 Carabao Cup.
Victory would see Cardiff reach the semi-finals for the first time since their run to the 2011-12 final in this competition, whilst Chelsea seek a second semi-final appearance in three seasons.
Team News
Omari Kellyman is ineligible for Cardiff due to EFL rules on loan signings not playing against their parent club.
Rubin Colwill (ankle), Ollie Tanner (leg) and Gabriel Osho (toe) remain absent
Chelsea will welcome Moises Caicedo back from his domestic three-match ban.
Cole Palmer will sit this match out as part of his game time management following his recent return to first-team action.
Liam Delap (shoulder), Romeo Lavia (quad), Levi Colwill (ACL), Dario Essugo (thigh) and Mykhailo Mudryk (suspension) are still sidelined.
When is Kick-Off?
Cardiff host Chelsea at Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday 16 December at 8pm GMT, live on Sky Sports Main Event in the UK.
Stat Attack
- Cardiff are yet to lose to Chelsea in the League Cup (W2, D1).
- Chelsea lost both of their two previous League Cup trips to Cardiff (L2), as they lost 1-0 in August 1980 then 2-1 in October 1986.
- Cardiff have kept just one clean sheet en-route to the Quarter-Finals (W4).
- Tyrique George has scored in both of Chelsea’s two matches in this season’s competition (W2), in which the Blues failed to keep clean sheets.
Prediction
With just two clean sheets in their last 15 matches in all competitions, Cardiff need a huge defensive performance if they want to stand any chance of causing a cupset, but they do have the firepower to cause issues as Doncaster discovered to their cost in a crazy league clash on Saturday.
Chelsea meanwhile dispatched Everton clinically with two first-half goals and comfortably saw out the win in the second half amidst wasted final touches, but I do expect there to be serious rotation here because the Blues are in a busy period which will get busier if they progress.
Although Cardiff have a strong record against Chelsea in this competition, I just can’t see them winning this if the visitors turn up with their best quality and get ahead.
Prediction: Cardiff 1-2 Chelsea
Result: Cardiff 1-3 Chelsea
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