Mansion Sports – Cardiff City become a non-Premier League side granted a golden opportunity to face English giants Chelsea in the quarter-finals of the 2025/2026 Carabao Cup.

This match is scheduled to take place at Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday, 16 December 2025 at 20.00 local time.

Chelsea arrive in the Welsh capital having ended a run of four matches without a win, while the hosts, carrying underdog status, are chasing a fourth consecutive victory that could become a historic moment.

Before this match kicks off, below is the Mansion Sports prediction for the Cardiff City vs Chelsea December 2025 lineups.

Team Conditions Ahead of the Match

Cardiff City

Cardiff City head coach Brian Barry-Murphy is currently enjoying a dream period with the Bluebirds, who are aiming to reach the League Cup semi-finals for the first time in the last 13 years.

Since the 2011/2012 season, when Cardiff lost on penalties to Liverpool in the final, the side now competing in League One have not progressed to the semi-finals of this competition.

However, they have already eliminated Premier League opposition to become the lowest-ranked team to reach the quarter-finals this season.

After defeating Swindon Town and Cheltenham Town in August, the Bluebirds beat Burnley 2-1 at Turf Moor and also eliminated Wrexham by the same scoreline in the fourth round, reaching the quarter-finals for the third time in their history.

Having also reached the semi-finals in the 1965/1966 edition, Cardiff possess a perfect record from their previous League Cup quarter-final appearances.

The Welsh side are currently riding a wave of victories ahead of Tuesday night’s David versus Goliath encounter.

Thanks to a dramatic 4-3 victory over Doncaster Rovers on Saturday, Barry-Murphy’s men have won their last three matches in the third tier, as well as six of their last seven games across all competitions, opening up a four-point gap at the top of the League One table.

Cardiff’s last victory over Chelsea also came in the League Cup, but that occurred in 1986. Since then, Chelsea have won each of the last five meetings between the two sides, including a 2-1 Premier League victory in 2019.

Chelsea

Few were surprised to see Chelsea reach the EFL Cup quarter-finals, although some observers may have questioned the manner in which the Blues secured their two victories in the 2025/2026 competition so far, both achieved by a single-goal margin against Lincoln City and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

An unconvincing 2-1 victory over Lincoln City in the third round was followed by a chaotic 4-3 win over the Premier League’s bottom side in the fourth round, in which Enzo Maresca’s team nearly suffered a major collapse after holding a three-goal lead.

An unattractive victory remains preferable to a valiant defeat, particularly in knockout competition, and Chelsea are now seeking to reach the EFL Cup semi-finals for the fifth time in the last nine seasons.

History also offers encouragement for the West London giants, who have won each of their last five EFL Cup quarter-final matches since being eliminated at this stage by Sunderland in the 2013/2014 season. Maresca’s side finally returned to winning ways last Saturday.

The return of Cole Palmer helped Chelsea secure a 2-0 Premier League victory over Everton, although that win was somewhat overshadowed by Maresca’s post-match press conference, in which he stated that he had endured the “worst 48 hours” of his Chelsea career and criticised a lack of support from unnamed parties.

Predicted Lineups Cardiff City vs Chelsea December 2025

Cardiff City (4-3-3)

Cardiff will be without Chelsea loanee Omari Kellyman. The Bluebirds had requested that the playmaker be allowed to feature in this match, but the request was rejected by the Club World Cup champions.

Kellyman’s absence is a double blow for Cardiff, as fellow attacking midfielder Rubin Colwill is also sidelined for several months due to an ankle injury. This situation opens the door for his brother, Joel Colwill, to return to the forward line.

Gabriel Osho, who is dealing with a toe injury, and Ollie Tanner, who has an ankle issue, will also miss the clash against Chelsea.

However, Tanner has now returned to full training after four months out and is projected to be ready to feature at the start of the new year.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1)

Despite a semi-final place being at stake, Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca is expected to rotate his squad in Cardiff.

He must also make a change in defence as Marc Cucurella is suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards.

Jorrel Hato is predicted to replace the Spanish full-back, while Filip Jorgensen, Josh Acheampong, Andrey Santos, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, and Moises Caicedo, who has just returned from a three-match suspension, are all candidates to start.

Liam Delap is sidelined with a shoulder injury, Dario Essugo and Romeo Lavia are out with thigh injuries, Mykhaylo Mudryk remains unavailable due to a doping case, and Levi Colwill is also absent with a knee injury.

Marc Guiu cannot be selected due to cup-tied regulations, and Cole Palmer will be rested. Guiu is one of two players ineligible to feature in this quarter-final.

With a contrasting narrative between a highly motivated underdog and a major club seeking consistency, this match is certain to provide compelling viewing.

Understanding the predicted lineups for Cardiff City vs Chelsea December 2025 helps clarify the potential strategies and dynamics of the encounter.

The remaining question is whether Cardiff can produce a shock, or whether Chelsea will advance confidently into the semi-finals.