Chelsea will entertain Leeds United at Stamford Bridge this Wednesday night as they hope to secure a good result at home in the EFL Cup. The Blues suffered a tough 2-1 loss at the hands of Arsenal in the Premier League recently, so they would be eager to bounce back by securing a win in midweek.
Xabi Alonso will set his men up in a 3-4-2-1 formation and is expected to make a lot of changes to his first XI for this game. Danny Welbeck could get the nod to lead the line for the West London club up top.
3-4-2-1 Chelsea Predicted Lineup To Face Leeds UnitedDefence
Mike Penders will feature in between the sticks for the Blues as he looks to keep a clean sheet in midweek. Alonso could name a back three of Levi Colwill, Maxence Lacroix and Josh Acheampong for this cup game. All three of them will focus on keeping the Leeds attackers frustrated throughout the 90 minutes.
Wesley Fofana will offer cover for the defensive positions on the bench.
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 06: Macence Lacroix of Chelsea reacts during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Arsenal FC and Chelsea FC at Emirates Stadium on September 06, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)Midfield
Valentin Barco and Daniel Essugo will anchor the midfield for Chelsea as they look to make life tough for the opposition at the centre of the park and engineer some inviting chances in the final third.
Pep Chavarria will try to prove his worth as the left-sided wide player, while Malo Gusto hopes to give a good account of himself on the right flank. Both of them will try to go forward and express themselves inside the opponent’s half.
Geovany Quenda and Estevao will operate as the free-flowing attacking midfielders for Alonso’s side. Both of them will have to carry most of the creative burden for the Blues up top.
Cole Palmer, Romeo Lavia and Pedro Neto will be rested on the bench as they wait for their chance to influence the game in the second 45 minutes if required.
Attack
Danny Welbeck will spearhead Chelsea’s attack up top. He has to find a way to be a real menace on the offensive end of the field.
Joao Pedro will get a well-deserved rest on the bench and might come on to make an impact in the latter stages of the contest if the Blues are in need of a goal by then.
