Cardiff Set to Battle Chelsea in High-Stakes Carabao Cup Clash: Complete Match Preview and Predicted Lineups
Chelsea are looking to secure their spot in the Carabao Cup semifinal as they face Cardiff City on Tuesday evening.
The Blues have made it to the Carabao Cup final three times in the past seven campaigns, though they've suffered defeat in each Wembley appearance. Enzo Maresca, who has already led Chelsea to Europa Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup success, will be eager to break the club's drought for domestic trophies.
Maresca's passionate comments following the weekend win against Everton have underscored the expectations facing the Italian manager at Stamford Bridge, with anything short of a dominant performance against third-tier opponents on Tuesday likely to increase the pressure.
Chelsea have already defeated Lincoln City and Wolverhampton Wanderers away from home in the Carabao Cup, though they've struggled through tight single-goal victories. Their confident opponents, who currently top League One, will be hoping to create similar difficulties for the Blues.
Cardiff made it to the 2011–12 EFL Cup final while playing in the Championship, ultimately falling to Liverpool in a penalty shootout. Achieving such a feat this campaign would represent an even more remarkable accomplishment; while highly improbable, surprises can happen.
Here is Sports Illustrated's preview of the quarterfinal encounter.
What Time Does Cardiff vs. Chelsea Kick-Off?
Cardiff vs. Chelsea Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Matches)
Current Form (All Competitions)
Cardiff | Chelsea |
|---|---|
Cardiff 4–3 Doncaster - 13/12/25 | Chelsea 2–0 Everton - 13/12/25 |
Stevenage 0–1 Cardiff - 09/12/25 | Atalanta 2–1 Chelsea - 09/12/25 |
Cardiff 3–2 Huddersfield - 06/12/25 | Bournemouth 0–0 Chelsea - 06/12/25 |
Cardiff 1–5 Wimbledon - 02/12/25 | Leeds 3–1 Chelsea - 03/12/25 |
Cardiff 3–0 Mansfield - 29/11/25 | Chelsea 1–1 Arsenal - 30/11/25 |
How to Watch Cardiff vs. Chelsea on TV, Live Stream
Country | TV Channel/Live Stream |
|---|---|
United Kingdom | Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League, SKy Ultra HD, Sky GO, Sky GO Extra, NOW TV |
United States | Paramount+ |
Canada | DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada |
Mexico | ESPN2 Mexico, Disney+ Premium Mexico |
Cardiff Team News
Cardiff manager Brian Barry-Murphy will be missing the key player Rubin Colwill for the Chelsea match, with the 23-year-old, who earned player of the Carabao Cup fourth round honors, remaining sidelined with a significant ankle problem.
His sibling Joel Colwill might return despite sitting out the 4–3 weekend victory against Doncaster Rovers, though Ollie Tanner, Jan Alnwick and Eli King remain unavailable. Former Luton Town centre-back Gabriel Osho is also questionable for the defensive line.
Chelsea loanee Omari Kellyman will be unavailable to face his parent club after the Blues turned down Cardiff's appeal to permit the young player to participate on Tuesday evening.
Cardiff Predicted Lineup vs. Chelsea
Cardiff expected lineup vs. Chelsea (4-3-3): Trott; Ng, Fish, Chambers, Bagan; Wintle, Robertson Turnbull; Ashford, Salech, Willock.
Chelsea Team News
Maresca confirmed he will make alterations from the weekend lineup as he seeks to rotate his extensive squad, with Cole Palmer, previously coached by Barry-Murphy at Manchester City's youth setup, expected to be rested. Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah, Enzo Fernández and Pedro Neto could be among others receiving crucial recovery time.
Chelsea will have Moisés Caicedo ready for the fixture and he could feature having sat out the Everton game due to suspension. Nevertheless, his midfield colleagues Roméo Lavia and Dário Essugo remain out with injuries.
Levi Colwill joins his Cardiff counterpart Rubin on the treatment table due to his ACL injury, while Liam Delap is sidelined with a shoulder problem. Marc Guiu is also ruled out as he's cup-tied, having appeared for Sunderland in this tournament during his temporary move.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Cardiff
Chelsea expected lineup vs. Cardiff (4-2-3-1): Jörgensen; Acheampong, Adarabioyo, Badiashile, Hato; Caciedo, Santos; Estêvão, Buonanotte, Gittens; George.
Cardiff vs. Chelsea Score Prediction
Even with Maresca implementing significant changes from the team that defeated Everton, his squad should cruise to victory on Tuesday. The Blues possess remarkable depth and are facing opponents positioned 41 spots lower in the football hierarchy.
Cardiff carry substantial belief as they experience an impressive League One season and they will believe they can find the net against a heavily rotated team. However, they will require something extraordinary to advance to the semifinals.