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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Arthur Ferridge

Chelsea face early fixture headache after Carabao Cup draw

Chelsea Xabi Alonso Carabao Cup Headache Brighton

Chelsea will open their 2026/27 campaign by playing three matches in the space of seven days after the Carabao Cup draw left them facing an early-season fixture headache.

Xabi Alonso will face the first competitive outing of his Chelsea tenure on Monday, August 24, visiting Alvaro Arbeloa’s Fulham, before hosting Brighton the following Sunday.

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