Good evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole as the League Cup quarter-finals get underway with Derby County vs. Chelsea at the iPro Stadium. A place in the last four of the tournament is up for grabs, so there is plenty at stake for both sides. We should have an interesting game on our hands! Let's start with a look at the hosts...

Derby will certainly be the underdogs going into this match tonight, but they will still be expected to put up a decent fight despite the quality of the opposition. Many people expect this to be a Premier League fixture next season, with the Rams amongst the favourites to be promoted to the top flight under Steve McClaren, who has done an excellent job at the club since taking over.

They don't currently reside in the automatic promotion places, however, with Saturday's 2-0 defeat to fellow high-flyers Middlesbrough seeing them drop from top spot down to third. It is all very tight up at the top in the Championship, however, with just four points separating the top six, so the Rams will know that everything could change back in the favour in one gameweek.

Such a fierce playoff battle has not resulted in the Rams putting these cup competitions on the back-burner, however. Indeed, victory over a side of Chelsea's calibre tonight would give them a huge confidence boost ahead of the weekend and, while the added games can sometimes be a hinderance, if results go their way tonight then the cup run could well be mirrored by a return to form in the Championship. Promotion is, of course, the number one priority, but McClaren certainly wouldn't say no to a semi-final appearance in this competition as well.

McClaren has developed a well-balanced side at the iPro, but perhaps their greatest strengths lie in the attacking third. Only league leaders Bournemouth have found the back of the net more times than the Rams in the Championship this season, while no side has scored more goals in the League Cup. That latter goal tally was helped by an emphatic victory over Fulham in the last round that saw McClaren's side come back from two goals down to win 5-2.

Their route to the quarter-finals has been quite straightforward in terms of how easy Derby have made it look so far. Those goals against Fulham were the first time that they had conceded in the competition this season having kept clean sheets in victories over Carlisle United, Charlton Athletic and Reading in the previous rounds. This is the first time that they will have come up against a side above them in the league ladder, however, so it will be interesting to see how they cope with the challenge.

Being drawn at home was a huge plus for Derby, not only because of Chelsea's imperious form at Stamford Bridge but also because of the Rams' record in front of their own fans this season. They have only lost one game at the iPro all season, a shock defeat to struggling Wigan Athletic in the league, while they come into this one absolutely flying in terms of home form. They have won their last three, scoring 11 goals and conceding just two in the process.

Overall, though, the Rams are actually in their joint worst form of the season so far coming into this game. The loss to Middlesbrough at the weekend made it two defeats in three games, which is equal to their worst three-game spell of the campaign. They have not lost back-to-back matches yet in the current campaign, however, so are unlikely to let the Boro defeat trouble them too much.

It is fair to say that they haven't faced a team boasting the qualities of this Chelsea side in that time, however. The Blues are the best in the country right now and come into this match looking to keep their four-trophy quest alive. They were handed a tricky tie against Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16 of the Champions League, but the Premier League is looking good, while victory tonight would send them into the last four of this competition. When you consider their fine recent record in the FA Cup too, things are looking promising for Jose Mourinho's side in terms of silverware this season.

It is in the Premier League that they have been most impressive this season, and they still lead the way by three points courtesy of a routine victory over Hull City at the weekend. Manchester City are beginning to hit top form and, despite the loss of Sergio Aguero to injury, look to be making a race of it this season, but Chelsea remain the favourites and are in the driving seat coming up to the halfway point of the campaign.

They did show their first glimpse of weakness earlier this month, however, as Newcastle United ended the possibility of Jose Mourinho's side going the entire season unbeaten with a 2-1 victory at St James' Park. That was Chelsea only defeat in 24 matches in all competitions this season, a run that includes 18 victories, but you can be sure that opposing teams will be studying the tapes of that loss and seeing exactly how the Magpies were able to beat what was beginning to look like an unstoppable force. Steve McClaren is no novice when it comes to tactics, so it will be interesting to see how he counteracts the visitors today.

Even accounting for that Newcastle setback, Chelsea have been by far and away the standout team in the Premier League this season. They are the highest scorers in the division with 36 goals from their 16 outings, while Southampton's recent run of poor form also means that no side has now conceded than Chelsea this season. They have let in just 13 goals and boast arguably the strongest defence in the league along with a potent attacking force that can hurt teams in a variety of ways.

Their form in the League Cup hasn't been quite as intimidating, however. They were expected to steamroller Shrewsbury in the last round, but the League Two side put up a good fight at Greenhous Meadow and were actually level going into the final 10 minutes. However, a late own goal handed Chelsea the 2-1 victory, which is the same scoreline that saw them past Bolton Wanderers in the third round. They haven't been entirely convincing, then, which could hint at a little complacency against teams that they are expected to thrash.

There can only be limited criticisms made of Chelsea's start to the season, however. Another one of those would be their away form, though, with four of their five draws and their only defeat coming on the road. They are without a win in two on their travels now, losing to Newcastle having drawn 0-0 with Sunderland in their previous trip to the North-East. Before that, though, there were two impressive away displays as they won 2-1 at Anfield before blowing Schalke away 5-0 in Gelsenkirchen, so it has been a bit of a mixed bag for Chelsea.

They do have a worrying recent record at this stage of the competition, though. It has proved a stumbling block for the club over the past few seasons, with Chelsea having been eliminated in three of their last four League Cup quarter-final ties. That was the case again last season, when eventual finalists Sunderland ran out 2-1 winners at the Stadium of Light.

TEAM NEWS: The teams are in for both sides, and the headline news is that Cesc Fabregas returns to the starting lineup for the visitors. It is a strong side named by Mourinho, although the likes of Diego Costa, Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic do miss out. Derby, meanwhile, have made two changes to the side that lost at the weekend as Buxton and Hughes come in. Full teams for both sides coming right up...

DERBY STARTING XI: Grant; Christie, Buxton, Keogh, Forsyth; Hughes, Mascarell, Bryson, Russell, Martin; Dawkins

DERBY SUBS: Roos, Coutts, Naylor, Hendrick, Calero, Best, Ibe

CHELSEA STARTING XI: Cech; Azpilicueta, Zouma, Terry, Filipe Luis; Mikel, Matic; Schurrle, Fabregas, Hazard; Drogba

CHELSEA SUBS: Schwarzer, Ivanovic, Ramires, Willian, Salah, Remy, Costa

What can we make of those two sides, then? Well, starting with Derby, McClaren has opted to make two changes to the side that were beaten by Middlesbrough on Saturday, one of which is an enforced one as Jake Buxton replaces the suspended Ryan Shotton in the middle of defence. He joins an otherwise settled back five that average a goal conceded per game in the Championship so far this season.

In midfielder, Will Hughes - who has been tipped with a move to the Premier League plenty of times already in his young career - returns to the side in place of Jeff Hendrick, joining Omar Mascarell and Craig Bryson in the middle of the park. They will certainly not have an easy time of things up against such a talented Chelsea midfield, but if they can somehow wrestle control of that area then it could be key to Derby finding a way past their visitors tonight.

As I mentioned earlier, Derby have been very impressive in attack this season, with the likes of Liverpool loanee Jordan Ibe left on the bench despite some fine performances for the club. Russell and Dawkins will provide the width for the Rams tonight, but it is Chris Martin who will be the main goal threat. He has had a hand in six goals in his last six League Cup appearances, scoring five and assisting another. Russell, meanwhile, has scored two and assisted two in his four League Cup appearances this season.

They will be looking for a way past Petr Cech today, with the veteran keeper retaining his place in the side due to an ongoing muscular problem for Courtois. Cech may well have played anyway have featured in both of Chelsea's League Cup matches so far this season, but the fact that Courtois is not even on the bench could suggest that he is a doubt for Monday's match against Stoke City too.

In defence, there is a return to the side for Azpilicueta after he missed out at the weekend, although the Spaniard will fill in at right-back rather than the left-back role he has played so far this season. Kurt Zouma also comes into the side in place of the rested Gary Cahill, while John Terry and Filipe Luis are the only defensive survivors from the victory over Hull.

Mourinho has opted to stick with the defensive midfield pairing of Mikel and Matic for today's game, with Fabregas expected to feature in a more advanced role than he has done for the majority of the campaign. The Spaniard was suspended against Hull but returns to replace Oscar in the side, while Andre Schurrle comes in for Willian. The excellent Eden Hazard, who was on the scoresheet again against the Tigers, continues on the wing and could well be Chelsea's main threat tonight.

Diego Costa has been left on the bench for today's game, but it certainly isn't a bad alternative having Drogba come in. The veteran striker has weighed in with a few goals already this season, surpassing Loic Remy as the second-choice striker in the process. He has netted seven times in his last eight League Cup appearances and will certainly be on the lookout to add to that tally tonight. Derby's defence will have rarely played against a forward with the guile, strength and experience of the Ivorian.

PREDICTION: We're 10 minutes from kickoff at the iPro Stadium, which means that it is time for a prediction! This is a very intriguing contest, and despite Chelsea fine form this season I don't expect it to be an easy night for them. It may have been different had it been at Stamford Bridge, but Derby will fancy their chances of pulling off an upset in front of their own fans. I still think Chelsea have enough about them to come away with the win, but I'm expecting a relatively close one. I'll go for another 2-1 Chelsea victory in the League Cup.

Chelsea certainly have recent history on their side in this fixture, winning seven and losing none of the last eight meetings between the two sides with an aggregate score of 25-4. Derby's last victory over Chelsea came way back in 1999 as they ran out 3-1 winners at what was then known as Pride Park. These two have actually met as recently as January of this year, with Chelsea knocking Derby out in the third round of the FA Cup courtesy of a 2-0 win here, Mikel and Oscar getting the goals.

Unsurprisingly, Chelsea also boast the better record in this competition having lifted the trophy four times in their history, most recently in 2007. Derby, meanwhile, have only made it past this stage twice in their history, reaching the last four in 1968 and 2009.

What's more, they have a fine record against teams from the lower leagues, winning 14 and losing none of their last 16 games against sides outside of the Premier League in this competition. That run stretches all the way back to 1999, when Huddersfield Town emerged shock 1-0 winners at Stamford Bridge.

There is another League Cup quarter-final taking place today, and you can following our live coverage of Sheffield United vs. Southampton by clicking here. I will also be keeping you up to date with major events from that match as and when they happen.

KICKOFF: Here we go then! Chelsea get us underway in this race for the last four of the League Cup. Will they continue their march towards four trophies or can Derby pull off a surprise?

Chelsea have made a confident start to this one, taking control of the ball early on and dominating possession. That hasn't dampened the spirits of the home fans, however, who are making for an electric atmosphere inside the iPro.

YELLOW CARD! A very early caution goes the way of Schurrle, but Jonathan Moss had no other option. It was a cynical trip from the German on Russell, who was leading a counter-attack out.

Nervy play from Mascarell as he tries to play out from the back but has no way out with a couple of blue shirts closing him down. He rushes a back-pass to the keeper and only succeeds in putting it behind for a corner.

Derby have their best spell of these opening exchanges with some good build-up inside the Chelsea final third. However, their hard work is undone by a poor cross from the left that sails over the crossbar for a goal kick.

Derby have certainly held their own in the opening eight minutes of this match. As expected, they aren't making things easy for Chelsea, closing the visitors down quickly and putting them under pressure on the ball.

A half sight of goal for Drogba, but it would have been some finish had he managed to squeeze this one in. Mikel floats a ball over the top for the striker, who uses his strength to spin away from Keogh but can't connect properly with his attempted first-time volley.

Chelsea's height inside the box could provide problems for Derby tonight, but so far they have dealt with set pieces fairly well. The latest sees Matic get his head to the ball, but he can't direct his effort goalwards.

Chelsea have enjoyed 65% of possession so far in this one, which won't exactly be a surprise for McClaren. The visitors are expected to see more of the ball today, but so far Derby haven't allowed them to test Grant.

A minor worry for Chelsea as Matic goes down following a clash of knees having skilfully skipped away from his man. He should be fine to continue, but Mourinho won't want to take any risks with such an important player.

Good spell of possession for Derby as they work the ball patiently forward down the left flank. Forsyth eventually picks it up on the overlapping run and fizzes one in towards the front post, but Cech collects comfortably.

Hazard has been quiet so far today, and it is easy to see why following this little period of play. The Belgian picks the ball up in midfield having drifted inside to become more involved, but he immediately has three white shirts around him and even his quick feet can't get him away from them.

Chelsea come forward and make it to the edge of the Derby penalty courtesy of some tidy build-up play from Hazard and Schurrle. However, just as their appears to be a bit of space, the German tries to flick it back to Drogba, allowing the defence to step in.

Derby have defended very well so far, but one mistake and they are ruthlessly punished by Hazard. Keogh gives the ball away in a very dangerous area and Hazard nips in to win it. The ball falls to Fabregas around 25 yards from goal and he slips an early pass in to Hazard, who keeps his composure to skip past one man before pulling his shot into the bottom corner.

How can Derby respond to that setback, then? They will be pretty happy with their performance on the whole so far, but that one mistake has cost them. The most important thing for them now is to not concede another goal in the near future.

Derby have the chance to hoist the ball into the box following a foul on Hughes in a decent crossing position, but the eventual delivery is poor. They need to do better those situations as they are struggling to break the visitors down right now.

SAVE! Chelsea get in behind the defence again, and this time it is Luis who has the chance. Fabregas slides a pass to the full-back, who lines his shot up before powering an effort straight at Grant, who beats it away from danger.

The visitors almost get in again as Fabregas pings a lovely pass over the top for Drogba, who takes it beautifully inside the area. However, he has two defenders up against him, and they do just about enough to thwart the veteran striker.

SHOT! Chelsea are starting to control this one, and it is no coincidence that Hazard has also started to grow into the game. He picks up the ball in midfield and skips past a challenge, but his eventual finish is dragged a long way wide.

Superb defending from Keogh, who has gone some way to make up for his earlier mistake here. Schurrle races down the right wing and pulls the ball into the box for Drogba, who looks to have beaten the Derby skipper with his movement. However, Keogh recovers brilliantly to make a vital block.

Derby are struggling to get out of their own half right now. Chelsea are beginning to flex their muscles a bit now, and Derby may find themselves needing to hang on until half time before launching a bid for an equaliser.

Derby are yet to have a shot in this match and, in truth, it is hard to see where an equaliser might come from right now. Chelsea seem very comfortable, with that goal completely changing the dynamic of this game.

A light moment of relief for the fans as Fabregas accidentally barges into Jonathan Moss from behind, sending the referee to the floor. That is always going to prompt a cheer around the stadium!

Chelsea have had 70% possession in the last 10 minutes, with Derby really struggling to keep hold of the ball for any length of time. They need to hold it up better if they are to work their way back into the match.

Finally Derby are able to mount a bit of sustained pressure on the Chelsea defence, and the hosts are making a strong end to the half now. However, Chelsea hold firm and still Cech has not had a shot to face yet.

Cech is called into action here as he comes to claim a corner, taking all in front of him as he punches the ball to safety. He clatters in to Zouma in the process, leaving the young defender prone on the floor and looking in a lot of pain. It was a nasty collision and the defender has barely moved since the incident. Concerning times for the visitors.

The Chelsea players are clearly very concerned about their teammate here. They call urgently for the stretcher and actually go and run it on themselves because they think the carriers are taking too long. This looks like it could be a serious one.

The fourth official indicates a minimum of four minutes added time, but it looks like we will have a lot more than that as this situation is still ongoing.

Ivanovic will be the man who replaces Zouma, who has finally been mounted onto the stretcher and is being carried off. That looks like it could be a really serious blow for the defender, but hopefully it isn't as bad as it looks.

CHELSEA SUB: Indeed, there is the change as Branislav Ivanovic replaces Zouma. We are into the last minute of added time that was given, but we're expecting an additional four minutes on top of that too.

Aside from the concern over Zouma's welfare, Derby won't be happy about that stoppage in play as they were beginning to put Chelsea under a bit of pressure. As is often the case with long stoppages like that, the intensity seems to have gone out of the game right now.

Jonathan Moss brings an end to the first half after a hefty chunk of stoppage time, and it is Chelsea who take a deserved lead into the break at the iPro Stadium. They are now just 45 minutes away from the semi-finals of the League Cup, while Derby have the same amount of time to save their place in the competition and fight back from the one-goal deficit.

The only goal of the game so far came from Eden Hazard, who ruthlessly punished a mistake at the back by Keogh. The Derby skipper was pressured into giving the ball away in a dangerous area, and Hazard and Fabregas combined to make the defender pay. The latter slid the ball through to Hazard, who kept his composure before finding the bottom corner with his ninth goal of the season.

There was big concern over Kurt Zouma at the end of the half, however, as the young defender took a heavy blow from Petr Cech when the keeper was coming to claim a corner. He has given a lot of treatment on the pitch, while his teammates looked very worried and actually helped carry the stretcher onto the field just to get it to him quicker. He was eventually carried off to be replaced by Ivanovic.

Aside from the goal, there has been very little goalmouth action at either end. Filipe Luis stung the palms of Lee Grant down the left channel, but otherwise the Derby keeper hasn't had much to do. Cech, meanwhile, is yet to face a shot this evening and his clearance that led to Zouma's injury is about the toughest thing that has been asked of him so far.

Chelsea have controlled the vast majority of the game without really threatening too much, however. They were completely dominant for around 10-15 minutes immediately after the goal, with Derby unable to keep hold of the ball and build a period of sustained pressure on the visitors. The hosts made a solid start to the game and also ended the half on a high before Zouma's injury, but there is no doubt that Chelsea deserve their lead.

It will be interesting to see how Derby approach this second half as they have no option but to push for an equaliser, but will be very wary of the likes of Hazard and Fabregas hitting them on the break.

KICKOFF: Derby get us back underway as they look to drag themselves back into this match. No changes for either side at the break, although Chelsea were forced into that on just before half time due to the injury to Zouma.

Bright start to the half from Derby, and they aren't far away from getting an early equaliser here. They win a free kick in a decent position and Mascarell floats it into the box, but it is just too high for those attacking it in the middle as Cech collects.

Derby have looked very neat and tidy in possession at times today, but they need to show more of a cutting edge in the final third. They still haven't had a single shot in this game, something they must improve if they are to stand any chance of getting back into the match.

CHANCE! The hosts finally do create a chance, and it is a very good one for Hughes! Russell does brilliantly on the right flank, skipping past Terry and racing to the byline. He picks out the young midfielder inside the box, but he doesn't make the best connection and hits it straight at Cech.

That chance should really encourage Derby, who have made a decent start to this half. It showed they they can get through the Chelsea defence, and if they can create another similar opportunity then that could well be all they need.

Hazard plays an aerial pass up to Schurrle, who chests the ball down inside the box before cutting on to his right foot and seeing his shot deflected wide. Drogba is not happy, however, as he is in acres of space in the box! Schurrle should have passed that then.

Well, the first goal was courtesy of a Derby error, but this one is all about individual brilliance. Drogba goes down fairly easily under a challenge from Hughes to win a free kick in shooting range, and Luis steps up to curl it beyond a helpless Grant for his first goal for the club. Magnificent strike from the full-back.

DERBY SUB: Derby need to change something now, and McClaren has turned to Liverpool loanee Jordan Ibe in an attempt to do that. He replaces Simon Dawkins.

Is there any way back for the Rams now? It could have been very different had Hughes taken that chance, but it really is tough to see how the hosts can recover from this situation. They did come from two goals down against Fulham in the last round, but Chelsea are a lot stronger than their fellow West Londoners.

A concern for Chelsea here as Drogba loses his footing and immediately clutches his ankle. He seems to signal to the bench that he won't be able to continue, and he doesn't seem to be able to put any weight on it right now.

CHELSEA SUB: Indeed, Drogba is unable to continue and he is replaced by Loic Remy for the final half an hour or so.

UPDATE: There has been a goal in the other League Cup quarter-final tonight, and we could be in line for a shock at Bramall Lane as McNulty has given Sheffield United the lead against Southampton. Are the Saints heading for yet another defeat?

The injuries for Chelsea today mean that Mourinho only has one more change to play with now. He may well have been planning to withdraw the likes of Hazard and Fabregas if his side got into a position like this, but should he choose to rest a player now he only has one sub.

Chelsea are in complete control of this one now. They are keeping the ball really well and not letting Derby have a sniff of getting back into the match. They are so good at managing these sorts of positions under Mourinho.

The commentator's curse strikes again! Derby get themselves right back into the match by pulling a goal back, and it is a lovely finish from Bryson. Derby's initial attack had been rebuffed, but then Ivanovic gave the ball away very cheaply. Bryson fed the ball out wide for Russell before receiving it back and placing a fine effort into the bottom far corner from the edge of the box.

Well, it really felt like this game was just going to peter out into nothingness as Chelsea saw out a comfortable victory, but Derby have made it interesting now. They have just over 15 minutes to find an equaliser and keep their semi-final hopes alive.

Magnificent from Ibe as he bursts down the left, beating Azpilicueta on the outside before also getting the better of Ivanovic. He eventually wins a corner for his side, and he seems to have the better of his full-back at the moment.

The corner is played into a dangerous area but Chelsea do well to deal with the danger. Derby look to recycle the ball, but Christie's cross is poor.

DERBY SUB: McClaren makes another change as Hughes departs to be replaced by Jeff Hendrick.

Hugely controversial moment here as Derby are reduced to 10 men! The ball is slid through for Remy, who shows good pace to challenge Buxton for the ball. Grant comes out to collect it and initially it appears as if the assistant has flagged for a handball against the keeper. The Derby players are furious that their keeper may be sent off, but Moss surprises everyone by showing the red to Buxton! The defender was tugging Remy back a bit, but the striker didn't look like he was getting there anyway. That is a very harsh one.

SHOT! Luis runs over the resulting free kick as Schurrle behind him takes it, but he curls an effort over the crossbar. Moments later, Chris Martin goes into the book.

Surely that is game over now! Moments after Derby had been reduced to 10 men Chelsea make their numerical advantage pay. Fabregas slips a pass down the right channel for Remy, who draws a fine low save out of Grant. However, the keeper can only parry it back out into a dangerous area, where Schurrle is waiting to tuck home.

CHELSEA SUB: The visitors make their third and final change as Ramires comes on in place of Hazard.

DERBY SUB: Derby also make a change, sacrificing their holding midfielder Mascarell for another striker in the shape of Leon Best.

Bryson has finished one smartly today, but this is a much wilder effort from the midfielder. The ball drops out to him around 25 yards from goal, but he slices his effort a long way wide.

Remy tries to rival Bryson for the worst shot tonight with a horrible shank of his own. He picks the ball up on the right side of the field before cutting inside, but his strike is a long, long off target too.

Chelsea are simply controlling the ball now and look happy to see this one out at 3-1. It's hard enough playing this Chelsea side with a full team, but having had a man sent off there is surely no way back in the closing minutes for Derby.

There will be a minimum of three minutes added time at the end of this match.

It's all over at the iPro Stadium as Chelsea book their place in the last four of the League Cup with a 3-1 victory over Derby County. Goals from Eden Hazard, Filipe Luis and Andre Schurrle were enough for the Blues to claim the win against the Rams, who had Jake Buxton sent off after Craig Bryson had given his side hope.

Right, that is all we have time for this evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole as Chelsea continued their quest for four trophies with a comfortable victory over 10-man Derby in the end. Stay tuned for our match report, and be sure to check back in for more League Cup action tomorrow night to find out who will join Chelsea and Sheffield United in the draw for the semi-finals. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!