Chelsea will take on Luton Town at Stamford Bridge in the second round of the Carabao Cup as Premier League clubs enter the competition
Xabi Alonso during the Chelsea FC Training Session at the Kai Tak Stadium.
Xabi Alonso's Chelsea will take on Luton Town in the second round of the Carabao Cup. (Image: Eurasia Sport Images, Getty Images)
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There could be a major fixture list shift following the second round Carabao Cup draw. The Premier League kicks off in just under two weeks, with Chelsea travelling to take on Fulham in the final fixture of the weekend on Monday, August 24 (8pm kick-off).
The match is being played on the Monday night after being selected for live TV coverage on Sky Sports. But it is now set to impact a few other fixtures, with both Chelsea and Fulham in action in the second round of the Carabao Cup.
Chelsea will face League One side Luton Town at Stamford Bridge on the week commencing August 24. Fulham, meanwhile, have been drawn at home against AFC Wimbledon.
Typically, these matches are played on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings, but the Monday night clash between Chelsea and Fulham on the Premier League's opening weekend means that both fixtures are likely to be pushed back to Thursday, August 27.
With Chelsea's fixture against Brighton, and Fulham's clash against Sunderland the following weekend already confirmed for Sunday, this shouldn't present any issues. There is, however, another potential complication for schedulers to navigate.
Policing constraints typically prevent Chelsea and Fulham from hosting matches on the same day. This will either need changes to existing regulations, or an alternative solution will need to be found by the EFL.
While both Chelsea and Fulham don't return to action until the following Sunday, the same cannot be said for their respective opponents. Both Luton and AFC Wimbledon are scheduled to fulfil League One commitments against Mansfield Town (A) and Wigan Athletic (H) on the Saturday, less than 48 hours after the potential Thursday night fixture.
Jack Wilshere before the Emirates FA Cup First Round match between Luton Town and Forest Green Rovers.
Jack Wilshere's Luton will take on Chelsea in the second round of the Carabao Cup. (Image: Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)
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Clubs are generally granted a minimum of 72 hours' rest between fixtures, suggesting those matches are likely to be postponed by approximately 24 hours. Nevertheless, this will then create a domino effect on their midweek commitments.
All four sides are set to feature in league action on Tuesday, 1 September. Those encounters will consequently need to be rescheduled by 24 hours to the Wednesday evening to ensure the teams receive sufficient rest between the two fixtures, meaning up to eight games will need to be moved.
Matches that will be impacted:
Chelsea vs Luton - Carabao Cup 2nd round
Fulham vs AFC Wimbledon - Carabao Cup 2nd round
AFC Wimbledon vs Wigan Athletic - League One
Mansfield vs Luton - League One
Burton Albion vs AFC Wimbledon - League One
Wigan Athletic vs MK Dons - League One
Luton vs Stockport - League One
Reading vs Mansfield - League One
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