Chelsea injury, suspension list and return dates for Cardiff: Marc Cucurella, Liam Delap, Romeo Lavia

The EFL Cup quarter-finals commence at the Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday evening, when Club World Cup winners Chelsea head to the Welsh capital to face Cardiff City.

The Blues have made hard work of reaching the last eight of the competition - only beating Lincoln City and Wolverhampton Wanderers by one goal in the earlier rounds - but they are firm favourites to make the semis here.

Enzo Maresca's men head west on the back of a straightforward Premier League success too, as the returning Cole Palmer inspired his side to a 2-0 victory over Everton on Saturday.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up all of Chelsea's latest injury and suspension news before the clash with Cardiff, who are aiming to reach the EFL Cup semis for the first time since finishing as runners-up in 2011-12.

Liam Delap

Status: Out

Type of injury: Shoulder

Possible return date: January 7 (vs. Fulham)

Liam Delap suffered a suspected dislocated shoulder in Chelsea's clash with Bournemouth two weekends ago, and while those fears have now been laid to rest, the striker is not expected to return this side of the New Year.

Levi Colwill

Status: Out

Type of injury: Knee

Possible return date: Unknown

Defender Levi Colwill is still on the long road to recovery from the ACL injury he sustained in the summer, and he faces a race against time to make his return before the end of the season.

Dario Essugo

Status: Out

Type of injury: Thigh

Possible return date: January 4 (vs. Manchester City)

Summer signing Dario Essugo had returned to training from a thigh problem before suffering a complication, and the midfielder's competitive return has been provisionally pencilled in for the start of next year.

Romeo Lavia

Status: Out

Type of injury: Thigh

Possible return date: January 4 (vs. Manchester City)

Likewise, Romeo Lavia has likely played his final game of 2025 due to a thigh injury, but the luckless Belgian should not be missing for longer than a few weeks.

CHELSEA’S SUSPENSION LIST

Marc Cucurella

Marc Cucurella has picked up two yellow cards in the current EFL Cup campaign, so the left-back must serve a one-game suspension in the quarter-final.

Marc Guiu is also cup-tied for the match, having represented Sunderland earlier in the competition during his loan spell, but Moises Caicedo returns from his three-match ban.