Chelsea will face Luton Town at Stamford Bridge in the second round of the Carabao Cup, while Fulham have been drawn at home against AFC Wimbledon. The ties are scheduled for the week commencing August 24, but a Monday night Premier League clash between Chelsea and Fulham could force both matches to be pushed back to Thursday, August 27.
Fixture congestion and policing constraints
The Premier League season kicks off in under two weeks, with Chelsea travelling to Fulham on Monday, August 24 (8pm kick-off), a match selected for live TV coverage on Sky Sports. Typically, Carabao Cup second-round matches are played on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings, but the Monday night fixture means both Chelsea and Fulham are likely to play their cup ties on Thursday.
While Chelsea's next league match against Brighton and Fulham's against Sunderland are already confirmed for the following Sunday, there is another complication: policing constraints usually prevent Chelsea and Fulham from hosting matches on the same day. This may require changes to existing regulations or an alternative solution from the EFL.
Domino effect on League One fixtures
Luton and AFC Wimbledon, the opponents in the cup ties, are scheduled to play League One matches on the Saturday following the potential Thursday night fixtures—Luton away to Mansfield Town and AFC Wimbledon at home to Wigan Athletic. Clubs are generally granted a minimum of 72 hours' rest between fixtures, so those matches are likely to be postponed by about 24 hours.
This, in turn, creates a domino effect on their midweek commitments. All four sides are set to feature in league action on Tuesday, September 1. Those encounters would need to be rescheduled to Wednesday evening to ensure sufficient rest, meaning up to eight games could be moved.
Matches impacted
- W/C 23 August: Chelsea vs Luton (Carabao Cup 2nd round), Fulham vs AFC Wimbledon (Carabao Cup 2nd round)
- Saturday 29 August: AFC Wimbledon vs Wigan Athletic (League One), Mansfield vs Luton (League One)
- Tuesday 1 September: Burton Albion vs AFC Wimbledon, Wigan Athletic vs MK Dons, Luton vs Stockport, Reading vs Mansfield (all League One)
