Alonso Steps Into the Spotlight as Chelsea Prepare to Battle Tottenham—Full Lineup Revealed

Chelsea failed to make amends for their Premier League struggles at Wembley, as Manchester City lifted the FA Cup trophy at the determined Blues' expense.

A six-match winless streak was at least halted with a 1–1 stalemate at Anfield, and Chelsea, despite their poor form over recent months, still retain a slim chance of qualifying for Champions League football in 2026–27—though it would require something of a miracle.

The news of Xabi Alonso's forthcoming appointment should lift spirits at Stamford Bridge ahead of Tottenham Hotspur's midweek visit, with the away side needing just a single point from their last two fixtures to avoid relegation.

Making sure Spurs fans are anxious heading into the final day will be high on Chelsea's agenda on Tuesday.

Chelsea Wary About Levi Colwill's Minutes

Chelsea appear to have emerged from Saturday's FA Cup final without any fresh injury concerns. Nevertheless, McFarlane has indicated a cautious approach will be adopted regarding Levi Colwill's playing time following his return from a lengthy knee injury.

"We need to be careful with Levi. He's obviously coming off the back of a very serious injury and has done well in those two games [vs. Liverpool and Man City]. We'll see how he looks today [Monday], how he reports, and we'll make a decision on that," the Chelsea manager said.

Trevoh Chalobah and Tosin Adarabioyo are ready to step in if needed.

Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho both came on as substitutes at Wembley and are pushing for starting berths in midweek. However, the hosts will be without Estêvão, who faces a World Cup absence due to a hamstring problem, along with Jamie Gittens.

Jesse Derry's campaign has been cut short after suffering a serious head injury in the 3–0 loss to Nottingham Forest.

Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Tottenham

GK: Robert Sánchez—The headguard-wearing Spaniard will once again look to channel his inner Petr Čech when Spurs arrive, having been beaten by Antoine Semenyo's brilliant flick at Wembley.

RB: Malo Gusto—Gusto featured in the cup final as Reece James was deployed in midfield, and the Frenchman is expected to retain his place in McFarlane's back four during the week.

CB: Wesley Fofana—It has been a rather tough conclusion to the season for the undeniably gifted Fofana. He will need to impress the incoming manager when the summer arrives.

CB: Trevoh Chalobah—Colwill may be available for some minutes, but no risks will be taken after he completed consecutive full 90-minute outings. Chalobah is more than a capable replacement.

LB: Marc Cucurella—His stint on the left wing will come to a close here, with McFarlane set to restore the enthusiastic Spaniard to the back four. Jorrel Hato is emerging as a useful option for the Blues.

DM: Andrey Santos—Reece James's recent fitness issue could see his minutes carefully managed against Spurs, with the captain potentially limited to a substitute role. In that scenario, Santos could earn a rare start under the interim boss.

DM: Moisés Caicedo—The Ecuadorian could benefit from a rest, having started and played the full duration of Chelsea's previous six matches. Caicedo has also picked up a yellow card in each of his last four appearances.

RM: Cole Palmer—Palmer's underwhelming season continued at Wembley, and the Stamford Bridge faithful will be hoping the gifted playmaker has saved his finest performance for their last home game of 2025–26.

AM: Enzo Fernández—The Argentine came closest to leveling for the Blues at Wembley and will be especially motivated to damage the survival prospects of Chelsea's London rivals.

LM: Pedro Neto—Chelsea fans will soon have new attacking talent to admire out wide, rather than watching energetic fullbacks fulfilling key offensive roles. With Cucurella expected to drop back into defense, there should be a spot for Pedro Neto to reclaim his place in the starting XI.

ST: João Pedro—The Brazilian has enjoyed an impressive debut season in west London and has a strong record against Spurs. João Pedro has contributed four Premier League goal involvements in two starts against the Lilywhites and was the decisive scorer in the earlier meeting this season.