Chelsea host Leeds United in the Carabao Cup third round on Wednesday, six months after the sides met at Wembley in last season’s FA Cup semi-final.
Xabi Alonso’s side go into the game looking to bounce back from their first defeat of the season, a 2-1 loss at Arsenal, while Daniel Farke’s Leeds arrive unbeaten in four matches and eager for another positive result away from home.
Chelsea have won the EFL Cup five times but not since 2015, and Wednesday’s tie offers a route back to the fourth round after being eliminated at this stage only once in the last 15 seasons, by Manchester City in 2022-23.
Leeds have reached the final just once in their history, winning the competition in 1967-68, and have failed to progress beyond the third round in 13 of the last 17 years. Alonso has already ruled out Moises Caicedo and Marco Palestra for the visit of Leeds, while Farke is expected to make changes of his own to integrate several summer signings.
Chelsea vs Leeds United – Match preview and team news
Date: Wednesday, 9 September 2026
Kick-off: 20:00 BST
Venue: Stamford Bridge
Referee: Jarred Gillett
Last meeting: Chelsea 1-0 Leeds United (FA Cup semi-final, April 2026)
Team news
Chelsea
Jordan Henderson (wrist) and Emmanuel Emegha remain unavailable, while Moises Caicedo and Marco Palestra are both “not yet” ready to return, according to Alonso. Levi Colwill is available having missed out through a minor issue against Arsenal. Alonso is expected to rotate his front three of Joao Pedro, Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers, with Danny Welbeck, Estevao Willian and Geovany Quenda among those pushing for starts.
Leeds United
Joe Rodon and Mateo Joseph remain long-term absentees, while Ilia Gruev and Daniel James are both being assessed ahead of kick-off; Farke described James’s issue as “a little question mark” after he reported back and hamstring problems against Brighton. Gabriel Gudmundsson is available having completed 90 minutes on his return from injury, and new signings Michael Zetterer and Jean-Matteo Bahoya could make their Leeds debuts, with Farke confirming there will be rotation to “integrate new players.”
Form
Chelsea
Chelsea’s bright start under Alonso was interrupted by Sunday’s 2-1 defeat at Arsenal, their first loss of the season after opening wins over Fulham and Brighton. The result left Alonso “hurt” but he remains confident in his side’s direction, and Wednesday offers an immediate chance to respond. Chelsea have scored inside the first five minutes of all three league games so far, a pattern Leeds will need to guard against from kick-off.
Leeds United
Leeds remain unbeaten through four matches, part of a run stretching back to March in which they have lost just twice in 16 competitive games. Back-to-back away wins over Nottingham Forest were followed by draws with Brentford and Brighton, the latter secured through Jayden Bogle’s early strike before being cancelled out after the break. Farke’s side have also failed to keep a clean sheet in nine successive visits to Stamford Bridge, a trend Chelsea will look to exploit.
Predicted lineups
Chelsea predicted XI (3-4-2-1): Penders; Acheampong, Lacroix, Colwill; Gusto, Lavia, Barco, Chavarria; Estevao, Palmer; Welbeck
Leeds United predicted XI (3-4-3): Trafford; Elvedi, Bijol, Muharemovic; Bogle, Ampadu, Longstaff, Justin; Aaronson, Wilson, Nmecha
How to watch Chelsea vs Leeds United?
The match will be broadcast live in the United Kingdom on Sky Sports Main Event.
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