Chelsea will travel to Cardiff City for their quarter-final match in the 2025/26 EFL Cup. Manager Maresca stated in a press conference that he is pleased with the positional flexibility of Reece James and Gusto.

After Palmer and Gusto scored to break through the opponent's goal, Chelsea defeated Everton 2-0 in the key match of the 16th round of the Premier League, and successfully faced the challenge of the English League Cup with a victory.

When discussing the performance of individual players, Chelsea manager Maresca said, "Gusto and Reece James can play as full-backs or midfielders. The key now is to put them in whichever position the team needs them in."

“In the last game against Everton, we played both Gusto and Reece James in defensive midfield positions. They are both full-backs, but they can also play as defensive midfielders.”

Maresca continued, "We are also happy for Gusto because he had never scored in his career, but now he has scored two goals. Cucurella had a similar situation last season, scoring six or seven goals. So, we are happy to help players continue to improve."

Furthermore, Cardiff City are currently top of the League One table, so Chelsea will have no room to relax in this match either.

Maresca said, "They are currently top of League One and keep winning with great performances. I know Barry Murphy and I know he's doing a great job. I was the U23 manager at Manchester City when I left, and he took over my position. He came to watch our training and matches, and I think he's been excellent at Cardiff City."

“This will be a dangerous match for us, and we must remain highly focused and careful tomorrow. We have the opportunity to achieve something important, which is to reach the semifinals of this tournament.”