Injury toll mounts as Chelsea dispatch Derby County to reach League Cup semi-finals

English Premier League leaders Chelsea beat second-tier Derby County 3-1 to reach the League Cup semi-finals on Tuesday, but at the cost of injuries to Kurt Zouma and Didier Drogba.

Eden Hazard and Filipe Luis, with his first goal for the club, put Chelsea in control on a rain-soaked night at the iPro Stadium, before Craig Bryson replied for Derby in the 71st minute.

But the hosts’ hopes of a comeback were extinguished when centre-back Jake Buxton was sent off for impeding substitute Loic Remy, and Andre Schuerrle made the game safe with eight minutes to play.

“Derby are a Championship side, but not a typical one. They have more quality than that and they play good football with fantastic support,” Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said.

“We played in a very professional way and controlled the game for most of the time. They fought to the end and for a few minutes after they scored they were able to put us in trouble.”

Remy was only on the pitch because veteran striker Drogba had been forced off by an ankle injury earlier in the second half.

French centre-back Zouma, meanwhile, was stretchered off in first-half injury time after colliding heavily with his own goalkeeper, Petr Cech. Branislav Ivanovic replaced him.