Chelsea vs. Leeds United, League Cup: Confirmed lineups; how to watch

It may not be as glamorous as last year's FA Cup semifinal at Wembley, but games between Chelsea and Leeds are always an occasion, especially in a cup setting.

That said, both sides have rotated for this League Cup third round matchup, with Xabi Alonso giving starts to some fresh faces, including young Reggie Watson, all of 16 years and 226 days old — our fourth youngest player ever.

Chelsea starting lineup (3-4-2-1): Penders | Colwill (c), Lacroix, Acheampong | Chavarría, Barco, Watson, Gusto | Gittens , Estêvão | Welbeck

Substitutes from: Martínez, Fofana, Hato, James, Neto, Palmer, Quenda, Rogers, João Pedro

Leeds United starting XI: Zetterer | Bard, Justin, Muharemović, Bijol , Ampadu , Longstaff , James, Wilson, Aaronson , Nmecha

Substitutes from: Trafford, Bogle, Gudmundsson, Elvedi, Tanaka, Stach, Okafor, Bahoya, Calvert-Lewin

Date / Time: Wednesday, September 9, 2026, 20.00 BST; 3pm EDT; 12:30am IST (next day) Venue: Stamford Bridge, SW6 Referee: Jarred Gillett (on pitch; no VAR)

On TV: Sky Sports Main Event (UK); none (USA); none (India); Startimes World Football (NGA); elsewhere Streaming: Sky Go (UK); Paramount+ (USA); FanCode (India); DStv Now (NGA)

Be excellent to each other, and party on, dudes!