Five-time winners Chelsea aim to make amends for the first-leg loss at Middlesbrough in the second leg of our semi-final tie tomorrow evening at Stamford Bridge. It is a game London’s first and most recent holders of this trophy must win if they are to reach the final at Wembley next month.

Trailing by a goal but with 90 minutes to play at home to reach a cup final is a scenario many teams would savour – and success under the floodlights could be the making of a young Blues squad.

Of our 15 previous semi-final ties in this competition, six were concluded at the Bridge. We were victorious on five occasions and, in two of those, we overcame a first-leg deficit to progress (most recently against Tottenham Hotspur in 2019).

Including the penalty shootout victory over Newcastle in the previous round, Chelsea have won the past six matches at Stamford Bridge across all competitions, and seven of the last eight have ended without defeat.

The Blues have enjoyed ten days to prepare for this fixture following our victory over Fulham. Middlesbrough, in contrast, will be back in action just 75 hours after walking off the pitch following their 1-1 draw with Rotherham United at the weekend.

Whichever side comes out victorious at Stamford Bridge will face Fulham or Liverpool, who meet at Craven Cottage tomorrow evening, in the final. Win that game at Wembley and European football is guaranteed next season.

Chelsea team news

Pochettino was able to welcome back both Ben Chilwell and Carney Chukwuemeka in the victory over Fulham last time out. With almost two full weeks of training under their belts, they will certainly be pushing for more minutes against Middlesbrough.

Chukwuemeka’s ability to unlock a well-drilled defence could prove handy based on the first leg, and the vastly experienced Chilwell can help secure the Blues’ left while threatening in the final third.

Malo Gusto’s absence may mean switching Axel Disaso to right-back. The France international's extra height could be useful as only four Championship sides have conceded more set-play goals than Boro this season.

The Blues will want to handle the visitors’ swift, direct breaks while being far more clinical when chances arise. The 18 shots Chelsea registered at the Riverside without scoring is the most in any away match this season.

One man who will be on a mission to make amends if selected will be Cole Palmer. Our leading goal contributor in the Carabao Cup – and all competitions this season – missed three great chances in the first leg when used as a false nine.

Down the right on Teeside, Noni Madueke regularly dribbled past opponents and registered three goals. He will be in contention to burrow in Boro's likely low block again, but Raheem Sterling and Mykhailo Mudryk are also in the race to start.

Italian midfielder Cesare Casadei, recalled from his loan at Leicester on Friday, is cup-tied for this competition and the FA Cup.

Nico Jackson, meanwhile, remains at the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal and will not be returning until at least 29 January after Les Lions de la Téranga reached the last-16 stage of the tournament.

Goal contributions - Carabao Cup 2023/24

Opposition scout – Middlesbrough

With no winter break in the Championship, Middlesbrough have played twice since the first leg – and they have lost more players to injury in the process.

Michael Carrick has used a 4-2-3-1 shape in Boro's past two league matches but is likely to change to the lead-protecting 5-4-1 that held out at the Riverside.  

Enforced absences will limit Carrick's options for a counter-attacking approach, however. A telling feature of the first leg, having lost injured Alex Bangura on the other flank, was Boro’s successful targeting of Chelsea’s left side at the back.

Raiding right wing-back Isaiah Jones, who set up wide forward Hayden Hackney’s winner, injured a hamstring in Saturday’s draw against Rotherham. Manu Latte Lath has also not figured since limping off in the first leg.

Furthermore, recent signing Luke Ayling, creative presence Finn Azaz, and marksman Sam Greenwood are all cup-tied, and Riley McGree and Sam Silvera are on international duty.

First-choice keeper Seny Dieng is injured and replacement Tom Glover was fortunate to maintain a clean sheet at the Riverside after mishandling several shots.

Diligent skipper Jonny Howson made the second-most tackles after Levi Colwill a fortnight ago, but the 35-year-old and midfielder sat out the Rotherham draw with a knock. Better news for Boro, though, was former Man City youngster Morgan Rogers returning with the assist for Marcus Forss’s equaliser.

In his only previous visit as a coach to Stamford Bridge, Carrick earned a 1-1 draw as caretaker manager of Manchester United in November 2021.

Carabao Cup semi-final second leg regulations

Progress to the Carabao Cup final at Wembley on 25 May must be decided tonight. The away goals rule does not apply and there is no VAR system in operation.

Should the aggregate score be level at the end of 90 minutes, a half-hour period of extra time will be played followed, if necessary, by a penalty shoot-out.

Levi Colwill was booked in the first leg and would miss the final if cautioned again. Likewise, Boro’s Isaiah Jones, though he may miss the game through injury.

Chelsea's semi-final history

We have progressed to the final in nine of our previous 15 semi-final ties in this competition – and six of the past eight.

The first back in 1965 was against Friday’s FA Cup opponents Aston Villa. The tie was effectively won with a 3-2 success in the first leg at Villa Park, see John Boyle’s story below.

A 1-1 draw led to the two-leg League Cup final victory over Leicester, which brought the trophy to London and Stamford Bridge for the first time.

Tomorrow's game will be Pochettino's first experience of overseeing a League Cup semi-final at Stamford Bridge in the home dugout. Five years ago, he saw his Tottenham side lose 2-1 but take Maurizio Sarri’s side to a penalty shoot-out, in which the north Londoners were defeated 4-2.

Three years later the Lilywhites, then managed by former Blues boss Antonio Conte, were seen off by an aggregate 3-0 at the Bridge by Thomas Tuchel’s team. Thiago Silva was among the scorers.  

Chelsea's semi-final aggregate scores

History on our side

The defeat of Fulham last time out in the Premier League maintained our long unbeaten home run against the Cottagers, and Middlesbrough’s 21 winless visits to Stamford Bridge stretch even further back.

Ron Suart was Chelsea’s manager and Jack Charlton was the Boro boss the last time the Teessiders won at the Bridge, that was back in 1975.

Boylers’ week to remember

A League Cup semi-final at Stamford Bridge will open a floodgate of unforgettable memories for John Boyle – one of our brilliant matchday hosts – of an astonishing spree of games 59 years ago.

As the 1964/65 season progressed, the 18-year-old Scot’s form and versatility demanded a senior bow and Tommy Docherty selected him in a last-four clash on 20 January at Aston Villa.

The teenage debutant scored the winner in a 3-2 first-leg victory but endured an hour’s worth of booing after a robust tackle on Villa’s best player.  

That’s barely half the story of a week in which Johnny slept in five different beds and played four times. The previous Saturday he featured for the Reserves against Fulham before journeying to Edinburgh for a trial game with Scotland Youth.

Saturday brought his Division One bow in a first-versus-second clash away to leaders Leeds – a feisty 2-2 encounter that is John’s favourite of his 266 appearances.

Wednesday brought an FA Youth Cup clash with Charlton, but mindful he’d picked him for the FA Cup clash with West Ham three days later, which we would win, the Doc asked Boylers if he fancied sitting out the youngsters’ tie.

‘He wouldn't hear of it,’ Docherty reported, ‘and I certainly don’t want to do anything that will curb his enthusiasm. I wish football was loaded with Boyles.’

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