Chelsea take on League One side Luton Town in the second round of the Carabao Cup with one key piece of technology missing for the tie.
Previewing Chelsea's Carabao Cup tie against Luton Town.
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Chelsea return to Carabao Cup action as they take on League One side Luton Town in the second round at Stamford Bridge on Thursday night.
After failing to qualify for either the Champions League or Europa League, the Blues are entering unfamiliar territory, joining the second round for just the third time in 30 years.
In 2016, Chelsea beat Bristol Rovers 3-2, and in 2023, Chelsea came from behind to beat AFC Wimbledon, a League Two side at the time. A familiar name, Enzo Fernandez, was called upon from the bench to score his first goal for the club, with Chelsea edging to a 2-1 victory.
Due to sides from the Championship, League One and League Two entering the competition and being unable to provide the facilities required by the EFL, Thursday's tie at Stamford Bridge will be without Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
The EFL’s reasoning for not using VAR in the early stages is to ‘provide consistency’ and maintain the overall integrity of the competition. The EFL aims to introduce the technology during the semi-final stage.
VAR has caused controversy within the competition. Back in 2024, Chelsea took on Middlesbrough at the semi-final stage, but because Middlesbrough were in the Championship, their stadium wasn’t adapted to accommodate the technology. As a result, both semi-final legs had to go without VAR for integrity purposes. The other semi-final between Liverpool and Fulham also had to go without its assistance, as it was deemed unfair that one tie could use VAR while the other couldn’t.
Despite losing the first leg, the Blues went on to win 6-2 on aggregate, with a certain Morgan Rogers getting on the scoresheet for the Championship side just days before completing his move to Aston Villa.
The referee for the Chelsea vs Luton tie is Elliot Bell, who has yet to officiate a Chelsea fixture in his career. His assistants will be Nick Hopton and Shaun Hudson.
The winners of the tie will have the privilege of hosting Leeds United in the third round. The draw took place on Wednesday evening, with the tie scheduled to take place during the weeks commencing September 7 or September 14.
Leeds had to overcome Nottingham Forest on Tuesday to book their place in the third round, while Chelsea and Luton have been made to wait until Thursday evening because of Chelsea playing Fulham on Monday night, resulting in fixture congestion.
The third round has already provided some mouthwatering ties, as Brighton travel to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United, while Liverpool take on Tottenham Hotspur. Chelsea will be looking to book their place in the third round this evening when they take on Jack Wilshere’s side.