EFL Cup draw: Chelsea, Fulham ties lead to Premier League, League One fixture headaches

By Darren Plant | 11 Aug 2026 13:52, Last updated: 11 Aug 2026 13:59

Chelsea, Fulham and a fig of League One clubs look the imaginable of fixture rescheduling astatine abbreviated announcement acknowledgment to Monday's EFL Cup 2nd circular draw.

When the Premier League docket was announced successful June, it was highlighted by Sports Mole that Sky Sports choosing to broadcast Fulham versus Chelsea connected Monday, August 24 was a bizarre decision.

With Chelsea and Fulham not qualifying for European competition, the Monday day fundamentally meant that they would play their EFL Cup second-round ties connected a Thursday night.

As a result, the Premier League matchday 2 fixtures of Chelsea and Fulham were each moved to a Sunday to accommodate that inevitability.

However, the Premier League and EFL person seemingly failed to instrumentality into relationship what would hap should Chelsea and Fulham some get drawn astatine location successful the EFL Cup 2nd round.

Why Chelsea, Fulham EFL Cup ties volition origin headache for Premier League, EFL

Chelsea volition big Luton Town and Fulham volition invited AFC Wimbledon to Craven Cottage. However, the adjacent proximity of the 2 grounds usually leads to constabulary ensuring that the 2 teams cannot big games connected the aforesaid day, particularly the aforesaid kickoff time.

In this instance, Chelsea oregon Fulham look the anticipation of playing their EFL Cup 2nd circular necktie conscionable 48 hours aft their Premier League opener unless constabulary marque an exception.

The complications proceed owed to Luton and AFC Wimbledon being scheduled to play Wigan Athletic and Mansfield Town connected the Saturday.

Therefore, arsenic it stands, 2 of Chelsea, Fulham, Luton and AFC Wimbledon volition lone person 48 hours remainder betwixt 2 fixtures.

With Sky Sports having Fulham versus Chelsea connected their docket since the mediate of June, they volition apt reason that it is up to the EFL to find a solution.

Furthermore, the EFL indispensable besides woody with a afloat docket of League One games owed to instrumentality spot connected September 1.

While it would marque consciousness for AFC Wimbledon's travel to Burton Albion and Luton's location crippled with Stockport County to beryllium enactment backmost 24 hours to September 2, determination is inactive the inevitability of clubs and supporters being inconvenienced if constabulary support with their long-standing regulations.

What is the champion solution for EFL?

In the lawsuit that Chelsea and Fulham - separated by 2 miles - cannot play connected Thursday, August 27, the EFL volition person to see moving Luton's and AFC Wimbledon's pursuing 2 games backmost by 24 hours.

However, different contented comes from that Sunday being a Bank Holiday. Luton fans taking nationalist transport to Mansfield could beryllium impacted, arsenic could Wigan Athletic fans making the agelong travel to AFC Wimbledon.

With Chelsea against Brighton & Hove Albion connected that time having been chosen for Sky Sports coverage, that is improbable to beryllium moved to the Monday, with Aston Villa versus Arsenal already taking spot connected that day.

Fulham are owed to look the agelong travel to Sunderland for a crippled connected the Sunday. They volition marque the statement to the governing bodies that they volition person to question to the North-East connected the Saturday.

Regardless of the outcome, the EFL faces upsetting astatine slightest 1 nine and fans alike successful a analyzable concern that could person been avoided by Sky Sports scheduling Fulham against Chelsea connected Sunday, August 23 with a 2pm kickoff, similar they did for an Easter Sunday crippled successful April 2025.