Chelsea vs Leeds preview: Team news, predicted XI and TV

Chelsea vs Leeds United takes place at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night as Xabi Alonso's side look to reach the fourth round of the Carabao Cup and respond immediately to their first defeat of the season. The Blues return home only three days after losing 2-1 against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. Leeds should provide another difficult test. Daniel Farke's side remain unbeaten in competitive football this season and have already won twice away from home. Here is everything you need to know ahead of Chelsea vs Leeds. Our recent H2H vs Wednesdays opponents Chelsea W1, D1, L3 Including our results from last season #LUFC pic.twitter.com/HpWHRbGK1d — Focus Leeds (@focusleeds) September 7, 2026 When is Chelsea vs Leeds? Chelsea host Leeds on Wednesday 9 September 2026, with kick-off scheduled for 8pm BST at Stamford Bridge. The game will be shown live in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event, while subscribers can stream it through Sky Go. Chelsea's official broadcast guide confirms supporters can also follow live audio commentary and minute-by-minute updates through the club's website and app. ReadChelsea's Chelsea next match guide has the full fixture and television information. Chelsea team news vs Leeds The biggest Chelsea fitness question surrounds Moises Caicedo. The midfielder missed Sunday's defeat at Arsenal after suffering another setback following his return against Brighton. Alonso subsequently admitted Chelsea had probably brought Caicedo back too early. Our latest Moises Caicedo injury update explains why Alonso is unlikely to take another unnecessary risk with one of his most important midfielders. Chelsea have not indicated that Caicedo is facing a long-term problem, but Wednesday could still arrive too soon. Rotation elsewhere looks highly likely. Alonso made significant changes during the previous round against Luton Town, when Mike Penders was given an opportunity in goal and Danny Welbeck opened his Chelsea account. Estêvão Willian should be another serious candidate to start. The Brazilian impressed in that 2-0 victory over Luton before almost rescuing Chelsea at Arsenal with a late curling effort that David Raya tipped over. ReadChelsea has already looked at why Estêvão has given Alonso a major selection decision before Leeds. Levi Colwill, Malo Gusto, Geovany Quenda and Jamie Gittens could also benefit from Alonso managing the workload of players who featured heavily at the Emirates. Chelsea predicted XI vs Leeds Our Chelsea predicted XI vs Leeds expects substantial rotation from the side beaten by Arsenal. Mike Penders is a contender to replace Emiliano Martinez in goal, while Colwill could return to the defence after remaining on the bench at the Emirates. Further forward, Estêvão, Quenda, Gittens and Welbeck all have strong cases to start. The quick turnaround also raises questions over Reece James, Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and João Pedro. All four have carried significant responsibility during the opening weeks of Alonso's reign. Wednesday gives Chelsea an opportunity to rest key players without fielding an inexperienced side. Alonso's squad depth should allow him to make considerable changes while still selecting a team capable of progressing. Leeds team news vs Chelsea Leeds travel to Stamford Bridge without one of their established defenders. Joe Rodon has been ruled out with a hamstring injury and is expected to miss around eight to ten weeks. Daniel Farke described the injury as a major setback before Leeds' weekend trip to Brighton. Leeds United's official fitness update confirms Rodon will definitely miss the current run of fixtures and could remain unavailable beyond the next international break. His absence has already forced changes. Nico Elvedi started against Brighton alongside Tarik Muharemović and James Justin, with Ethan Ampadu providing further defensive protection. Farke also has several fresh options after Leeds strengthened their squad before the transfer deadline. That means Rodon's absence is significant without leaving Wednesday's visitors short of alternatives. Leeds arrive unbeaten Chelsea should not mistake rotation for an easy cup night. Leeds have opened 2026/27 with four competitive matches without defeat. Their results are: Nottingham Forest 0-1 Leeds Nottingham Forest 0-2 Leeds Leeds 1-1 Brentford Brighton 1-1 Leeds Their second victory at the City Ground came in the previous round of this competition. Daniel James opened the scoring before Lukas Nmecha sealed a 2-0 win, with Leeds' official Carabao Cup report showing that Farke made six changes and was still able to produce a strong away performance. Saturday's trip to Brighton provided another warning. Jayden Bogle gave Leeds an early lead and Farke's side controlled substantial periods before Brighton eventually recovered to draw 1-1. Chelsea therefore face a Premier League opponent arriving in confidence rather than a lower-league side simply hoping to cause an upset. Chelsea vs Leeds head-to-head Recent meetings have generally favoured Chelsea. The Blues beat Leeds 1-0 at Wembley in April's FA Cup semi-final, while the sides drew 2-2 at Stamford Bridge during the previous Premier League campaign. Chelsea also carry an encouraging historical record into this particular competition. The Blues have never lost to Leeds in the League Cup, including a memorable 5-1 victory at Elland Road in 2012. Our Chelsea vs Leeds head-to-head guide has the last five meetings and full recent record ahead of Wednesday. Who is the Chelsea vs Leeds referee? Jarred Gillett will referee the third-round tie. Neil Davies and Steven Meredith have been appointed as his assistants, with Robert Madley the fourth official. Crucially, VAR will not be used. Leeds officially confirmed the match officials, explaining that video technology is not operating at this stage of the competition. Gillett also refereed Chelsea's 1-0 FA Cup semi-final victory over Leeds earlier this year. Our Chelsea vs Leeds referee guide has more on his record and Wednesday's VAR rules. Alonso has chance to respond immediately Sunday's defeat was Chelsea's first under Alonso. It should not cause alarm after only three Premier League games, but the manager openly acknowledged areas requiring improvement. Chelsea have conceded seven league goals already and struggled for sustained control once Arsenal recovered from Rogers' rapid opener. Wednesday therefore serves two purposes. Progression in the Carabao Cup is the immediate objective. But Alonso can also use the game to test his squad depth, provide opportunities to players pushing for bigger roles and demand an immediate response from his team. Leeds' unbeaten start suggests they will punish Chelsea if the hosts treat the night as little more than a rotation exercise.