**Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo will be suspended for the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.**
The Ecuadorian captained the Blues [**against Cardiff City**](https://chelseanews.com/blog/chelsea-player-ratings-cardiff-city/) on Tuesday night, helping to secure their passage to the next round after a 3-1 win over the League One leaders.
However, Caicedo was booked for dissent in the closing stages of the match. After the Blues gave away a foul, he sarcastically applauded referee Tony Harrington, who didn’t take kindly to the gesture.
His first yellow card of the tournament came in similar circumstances when he was cautioned for arguing against Wolves in the fourth round.
Why Caicedo’s suspension only counts in the Carabao Cup
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The midfielder has only just returned from a three-match ban after his red card against Arsenal last month. That was a domestic ban which covers all English competitions.
However, as his two bookings were picked up in the Carabao Cup, this new suspension only applies to this competition.
Chelsea will be rueing the mistake
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If Caicedo had not been booked against Cardiff, his yellow card for the Wolves game would have been wiped, meaning he would not have been under threat of a ban going forward
However, his actions mean that he will now be unavailable when Enzo Maresca’s side play the first leg of the semi-final next month.
Caicedo will be back in contention for the second leg, but depending on what happens in the first match, his absence could prove costly.
As it is, Maresca will have no choice but to rejig his midfield. Caicedo played alongside Andrey Santos against Cardiff, but it seems likely that the Brazilian will now be the man tasked with holding the fort in the middle of the park, with either Reece James, Malo Gusto or Enzo Fernandez lining up alongside him.
[**Read more about the Chelsea First Team Squad for 2025/26 here**](https://chelseanews.com/blog/chelsea-first-team-squad/)