Chelsea boss makes key decision ahead of Cardiff City clash

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·15 December 2025

Chelsea boss makes key decision ahead of Cardiff City clash

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has revealed that Cole Palmer will be rested for their League Cup quarter-final clash with Cardiff City.

The Blues travel to Wales to play the League One outfit for a place in the last four on Tuesday evening, with kickoff set for 8pm.

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Maresca praised counterpart and former Manchester City colleague Brian Barry-Murphy for the job he has done with Cardiff, who sit top of the third tier table.

“They are doing a good job,” the Italian said at his pre-match press conference. “They are top of the league. They are doing a fantastic job.

“I was under-23 coach and worked with him. He came to see one of our sessions. He is doing a brilliant job.”

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca makes Cole Palmer decision ahead of Cardiff City clash

Maresca has promised to rotate his starting lineup from the one that beat Everton 2-0 at Stamford Bridge at the weekend.

“We are going to make some changes,” he said. “We will see how many. We have players who have played a lot over the last 12-15 days.”

Palmer is one such player who will be rotated out of the lineup for the trip after recently recovering from groin and toe injuries. The playmaker made his fourth league start of the season against the Toffees on Saturday, but is not capable of playing more than once a week.

“Cole is one of the players who deserves to be protected,” Maresca added. “He is not in this moment available to play two games in three days.”

While Maresca will leave some of Chelsea‘s best players on the bench, he is not taking the game against lower league opposition for granted.

“These are the worst games because we have everything to lose. Football is full of all of these games where the favourites can lose. That is why all the focus is on Cardiff.

“It is something we want to achieve for the fans. That’s why we need to do our best tomorrow.”

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