Will

Stewart Downing
Former Middlesbrough and England midfielder on BBC Radio 5 Live

I ask a lot of the staff and players what [Michael Carrick] is like and they say he is exactly the same as he is on the TV and he was like that as a player.

It is no disrespect to the players who aren't at the level that he was as a player, he is patient and that translates onto the pitch.

He is still learning and is young himself as a manager. I think he has done a great job and it's starting to come together now.

He is doing a great job but to get to a final would make it even better.

Image source, Getty Images

Middlesbrough are 90 minutes away from reaching their first major final since 2006.

That was the UEFA Cup and they were beaten by Sevilla - as is tradition in that competition - in the showpiece game in Eindhoven.

However, two years early Boro won the only major trophy in their history when they beat Bolton in the 2004 League Cup final.

Steve McClaren's side were two goals up inside seven minutes through Joseph-Desire Job and a controversial Bolo Zenden penalty.

Kevin Davies pulled one back for Bolton but Boro held on for a famous win. Their captain looks rather familiar, too...

Matt: No Gallagher or Gilchrist is making me nervous. The two players who consistently show desire and set the standard for energy. Hope Poch knows what he's doing.

Anon: Huge game for both teams. Everyone is acting like Chelsea have already played & won!!! If Boro can hold on, it's the end for Poch. Under achieving Chelsea v over achieving Boro, It's got upset written all over it. Up the Boro!!!

Image source, Getty Images

If Chelsea can overturn a one-goal deficit to make next month's final, they will have the chance to win the League Cup for the sixth time.

The Blues first triumphed in 1965 when they beat Leicester over two legs in the final before a 33-year wait to win it again in 1998.

Their last three wins came under Jose Mourinho as they lifted the trophy in 2005 and 2007 during his first spell before overcoming Tottenham in the 2015 final during his second.

Number six is within sight but, as it stands, they've got a lot of work to do just to get to Wembley...

Image source, Getty Images

This is the fifth time that Chelsea and Middlesbrough have met in this competition and after after Boro's victory in the first leg, the record currently stands at two wins apiece.

The Teessiders won a second round tie in 1967-68 with Chelsea triumphing in the third round three seasons later.

However, the most famous League Cup meeting between the sides came in the 1998 final.

Chelsea emerged 2-0 winners with goals from Frank Sinclair and Roberto di Matteo, but needed extra-time to beat a Division One (now Championship) Middlesbrough.

Gareth

BBC Radio 5 Live

A reminder that you can listen to tonight's semi-final second leg on BBC Radio 5 Live, via BBC Sounds or at the top of this very page.

Kelly Cates is at the helm and coverage is already under way.

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino used his pre-match press conference to call on Blues supporters to help his side overturn their one-goal deficit.

The hosts are looking to reach their first major final since co-owner Todd Boehly completed his takeover in May 2022.

Chelsea recorded just three home wins across 11 months between January and November 2023 but have recently reversed that form and are on a three-game winning run in the Premier League.

"It's a passport to the final, to visit Wembley," said Pochettino. "It's an important game for the club, for us, for everyone. We want to be in the final.

"But first of all we need to beat a very good team that, in the first leg, we could not beat.

"We're confident we can have a very good game in front of our fans. We need to take advantage of playing at Stamford Bridge with all the energy that will translate from our fans."

Alex Howell
BBC Sport at Stamford Bridge

This week could be Mauricio Pochettino's most important as Chelsea manager.

The match on Tuesday is the start of a vital four days which be a major boost to - or effectively be the end of - their season.

A result on Tuesday would allow those at Chelsea to point to progress and say they have made a cup final in Pochettino's first season. If they went on to win the trophy, it would also mean qualifying for Europe - albeit the Europa Conference League.

They also have the FA Cup fourth-round tie against high-flying Aston Villa on Friday. If these two matches go Chelsea's way it would maintain the positivity around the club.

Pochettino has repeated the message this season that "Chelsea's history is to win" - but if they don't start this week by beating Middlesbrough, that history will start to weigh heavy.

Alex: I've been very much behind Pochettino until now. Middlesbrough were great in the first leg, but if we fail to progress tonight in front of a home crowd, it'll be tough to see where he goes from here.

James: Apart from Mudryk and Caicedo, Poch has put out the best team he can. However after the shocker that was the first leg it still doesn't fill me with confidence.

Ian Dennis
BBC Radio 5 Live senior football reporter

Ben Chilwell has now got an opportunity to play regularly at left-back and also stake his claim for [the England squad] in the summer as well.

Image source, Getty Images

Stewart Downing
Former Middlesbrough and England midfielder on BBC Radio 5 Live

I'm surprised [Jonny Howson] is starting to be honest.

But he is a big part of the team and has a lot of experience. When the pressure is on and the backs are against the wall that's when you look to him and see if he can help take the pressure off.

Mauricio Pochettino makes two changes to the Chelsea side which beat Fulham in their most recent match on 13 January.

Mikhaylo Mudryk starts in attack, while left back Ben Chilwell also returns to captain the side.

Malo Gusto and Conor Gallagher are the men to drop out.

Chelsea XI: Petrovic; Disasi, Thiago Silva, Colwill, Chilwell; Caicedo, Enzo; Mudryk, Palmer, Sterling; Broja

Subs: Bergstrom, Curd, Badiashile, Gilchrist, Gallagher, Chukwuemeka, Castledine, Madueke, Washington

Image source, Opta

Michael Carrick makes four changes to the Middlesbrough side which drew with Rotherham in the Championship on Saturday.

Isaiah Jones limped off in that game with a hamstring issue, while Sam Greenwood, Finn Azaz and Luke Ayling are cup-tied.

Jonny Howson starts after recovering from a knock in training, as do Rav van den Berg, Matt Crooks and Marcus Forss.

Boro XI: Glover; Van den Berg, Clarke, Fry, Engel; Barlaser, Howson, Hackney; Rogers, Crooks, Forss

Subs: Jones, Gilbert, Dijksteel, McNair, Coburn, O'Brien, McCabe, Bridge, Bilongo

Image source, Opta

BBC Radio 5 Live

Chelsea fan Dan Silver on BBC Radio 5 Live: "I think with Villa on Friday in the FA Cup, it's a season-defining week. I think the next two matches will define our season and potentially Pochettino's future. But it is hard to tell.

"It's a very different ownership group to what was here previously when if you had a bad season you were guaranteed the sack. Here, we don't know."

Vicar

Team news from Stamford Bridge coming up very soon...

Image source, Getty Images

BBC Radio 5 Live

Middlesbrough fan Michelle Coleman on BBC Radio 5 Live: "I think sometimes being the underdog does help because the pressure is on Chelsea, being at home especially and being the Premier League side. Whatever happens tonight we are proud of what we have done so far.

"It would be absolutely massive [to win]. We've had a really frustrating season in the league. The players and the fans, it gives us a lot of confidence. But then in the league it has been so frustrating. We beat Chelsea, we went to Millwall and won 3-1 and then we draw 1-1 to Rotherham."

Image source, Getty Images

Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick says he is "expecting the very best version" of Chelsea when his side face the five-time winners in their Carabao Cup semi-final second leg on Tuesday.

The Championship side head to Stamford Bridge with a slender 1-0 lead from the home first leg.

Middlesbrough won the trophy for the only time in 2004 and Carrick said: "We got a big boost from the first game, but that's as far as it goes.

"We know what we're walking into.

"We're not getting ahead of ourselves but, certainly from the first game, the boys have handled it very well and are looking forward to doing it again. We're expecting the best version of Chelsea."