Chelsea are on the cusp of another Wembley showdown, poised to take a giant leap toward the Carabao Cup final this Tuesday night. The Blues have been starved of domestic trophies since their 2018 FA Cup victory, plagued by a string of agonizing near-misses. With six consecutive major finals at Wembley ending in heartbreak, the club is hungry to shatter their barren run in the Carabao Cup.
Facing League One side Cardiff City in the quarterfinals presents Chelsea with a golden chance to storm into the semifinals and chase redemption. Yet, Enzo Maresca is set to roll the dice with a heavily rotated squad in Wales, shaking up the starting XI to preserve his key players.
The Italian boss, whose fiery post-match comments after the Everton win have sparked debate, is expected to bench most of his first-team regulars against Cardiff, giving fringe players a prime platform to shine.
Here’s how Chelsea might line up in this pivotal clash.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Cardiff (4-2-3-1)
GK: Filip Jörgensen—The 23-year-old hasn’t seen action since the fourth-round thriller against Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he shipped three goals in a wild encounter. Barring disaster, he should have a far quieter evening this Tuesday.
RB: Josh Acheampong—The adaptable youngster has shuttled between center back and right back this season, and he’s primed to step in for weekend hero Malo Gusto against Cardiff.
CB: Tosin Adarabioyo—Tosin had a forgettable outing in his last start against Leeds United and often appears shaky at the heart of Chelsea’s backline. He’ll face a stern test from Cardiff’s red-hot striker Yousef Salech, who has netted seven in his last 10 outings.
CB: Benoît Badiashile—Badiashile has impressed when fit this season, but his injury history makes him an unreliable long-term option. Still, Maresca will deploy the Frenchman whenever possible.
LB: Jorrel Hato—Marc Cucurella is among the Blues stars crying out for a breather, opening the door for summer arrival Jorrel Hato. The Dutch prodigy hasn’t fully settled at Chelsea yet, but this could be his moment.
DM: Moisés Caicedo—One of the rare mainstays to start, Caicedo enters the Cardiff tie refreshed after sitting out the last three Premier League matches due to suspension.
DM: Andrey Santos—With Reece James and Enzo Fernández needing downtime after heavy recent minutes, Santos gets his shot to impress in Wales. He bagged a goal and an assist against Wolves in the prior round.
RW: Estêvão—The enchanting Brazilian teen lights up the pitch under the lights and is ready to dazzle against lower-league foes. He’s notching roughly a goal every four games in a stellar Chelsea debut campaign.
AM: Facundo Buonanotte—The loanee has been sparingly used at Chelsea, but he’s appeared in both Carabao Cup ties this term—including netting the decisive strike against Lincoln City in round three.
LW: Jamie Gittens—The English talent unleashed a jaw-dropping goal against Wolves in the fourth round, yet he must showcase his vast promise more consistently. A strong showing versus Cardiff is the least expected.
ST: Tyrique George—With João Pedro likely rested, Liam Delap sidelined by injury, and Marc Guiu ineligible due to cup-tie rules, 19-year-old George steps up to spearhead the attack. He’s already contributed two goals and an assist in the last two rounds.
