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Enzo Maresca's Chelsea play Cardiff City in the Carabao Cup quarter-final on Tuesday night - with their Welsh opponents the only non-Premier League side left standing.
Matty Hewitt Football Writer 10:00, 16 Dec 2025
As many as ten players could be missing from Chelsea's impending game against Cardiff City in the Carabao Cup quarter-final on Tuesday night.
Enzo Maresca's side make the long trip to South Wales looking to advance through to the semi-final stage of the competition for the first time since reaching the final in 2023/24.
They were beaten by Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool on that occasion and will be hopeful of adding another trophy to the cabinet this year.
The Blues could be without six players for the trip to Wales, while Cardiff could have four players ruled out.
Cole Palmer is the headline name likely to be missing, for Chelsea, with Maresca admitting the England forward will have his game-time managed having recently returned from a groin injury.
He's played in Chelsea's last three Premier League matches, but Maresca said: "I already said many times, Cole is one of the players that deserves to be protected. He's not available to play two games in three days."
Summer signing Liam Delap is another who is set to miss the match having suffered from a dislocated shoulder earlier this month. He's not expected to be back until late December or early January.
When asked about his injury earlier this month, Maresca replied: "We don't know yet. It could be two, three, four weeks. We don't know exactly how many days he will need."
Midfielders Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo are also expected to return to the squad in early January as they continue recovery from thigh injuries. Both players are being cautiously managed given the nature of their set-backs.
Levi Colwill is also ruled out of the game having undergone surgery on an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury this summer and is expected to miss the majority of the campaign.
Forward Mykhailo Mudryk is also not available for selection, due to his ongoing ban from football.
Cardiff will also have a number of stars missing from the game, meanwhile, with four expected absentees. Chelsea loanee Omari Kellyman is ineligible for the match against his parent club, and he has made 17 appearances for the League One club this season.
Rubin Colwill and Ollie Tanner have both been ruled out of the game, both with ankle injuries, while Brian Barry-Murphy will also be without Gabriel Osho - who has a toe injury.
The Blues kick-off against Cardiff at 8pm at the Cardiff City Stadium tonight.
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