Chelsea are set to face Port Vale this weekend in the FA Cup quarterfinals. It will be an important matchup for the Blues, who find themselves in a challenging period lately.
Port Vale are currently 24th in Football League One, so it is expected that Chelsea shouldn’t have much difficulty getting the better of them. However, in the FA Cup, nothing is impossible. We have seen multiple top-tier teams slip against clear underdogs in the past.
Nevertheless, Liam Rosenior will be eager to register a win and move on to the semifinals. Ideally, you could put out a second-string lineup in a game like this. But with Chelsea coming into this matchup on the back of four losses, that might not be a risk that the manager is willing to take. He will be hoping that the international break gave them a chance to reset and refocus.
Expect to see a close to full-strength Chelsea team this weekend, despite playing against League One opposition. However, the squad might see some rotation from their last Premier League matchup against Everton, especially in the midfield setup.
Chelsea Defence
Robert Sanchez will start in goal, in all likelihood. Although one might argue that Filip Jorgensen should be given a chance, it might be too soon to consider it after his blunders against PSG. Then again, the Spaniard looks short of confidence and error-prone at the moment as well.
Now coming to the heart of the defence, Wesley Fofana and Jorrel Hato are expected to be given the nod. Marc Cucurella and Malo Gusto, unsurprisingly, should start at left-back and right-back, respectively.
Having lost their last four matches in all competitions, including some heavy defeats, the defence will have to step up against Port Vale and deliver a solid performance. A clean sheet should be the demand.
Chelsea Midfield
The inclusion of Moises Caicedo is a no-brainer, and he should start as one of the defensive midfielders. However, his partner in the middle of the park has been rotated quite often this season.
Andrey Santos is expected to be included in the starting XI for this match. Romeo Lavia is also fit and could be given some minutes later on.
The attacking midfield area is where the most changes are likely to take place. Enzo Fernandez has been handed a two-match sanction by Rosenior and the club hierarchy. As a result, Cole Palmer should move to his familiar number 10 role for this matchup.
Chelsea Attack
Joao Pedro has established himself as the primary striker for Chelsea. He has appeared in 43 matches and scored 18 goals in all competitions. So, it goes without saying that he should start this matchup as well. The Blues also have Liam Delap in their ranks, who might come on in the second half against Port Vale. Normally, you could have started the Englishman against lower league opposition, hoping to give him some confidence, but not while on a four-game losing streak.
Pedro Neto starts on the left, as we have seen lately. Estevao should get the green light for a start on the right flank.
