Chelsea have released their starting eleven for today’s EFL Cup encounter against Cardiff City via a post on their official X account. The Blues confirmed that Malo Gusto, who was named Man of the Match in their 2–0 win over Everton, will not start.
In goal, Jörgensen replaces Robert Sánchez, who has enjoyed an impressive resurgence this season and currently boasts the highest number of clean sheets after a difficult campaign last year. Defensive changes also see Tosin return to the lineup alongside Benoît Badiashile, despite criticism from some fans following Chelsea’s 2–1 defeat to Atalanta.
Hato and Achempong are set to operate as left and right backs respectively, while Moisés Caicedo returns from suspension to partner Andrey Santos in defensive midfield.
Further rotation sees George, Gittens, and Buonanotte handed starting roles despite not being regular starters, with Marc Guiu leading the line in attack.
Analyzing the lineup, SoftFootball believes Chelsea are not underestimating Cardiff City, but rather implementing a squad rotation strategy consistently used by head coach Enzo Maresca to keep players fit and motivated.
While Chelsea are expected to navigate the tie comfortably, cup competitions often produce surprises, and Cardiff City could still spring an upset if given the opportunity.
