Chelsea Face Giant-Killing Test as Charlton Eye FA Cup Upset in Third Round Showdown
Chelsea embark on their journey under Liam Rosenior this Saturday evening as they travel to face Charlton Athletic in the FA Cup third round.
Rosenior was only an observer at Craven Cottage as Chelsea, reduced to ten men, suffered defeat against local rivals Fulham, with Under-21s manager Calum McFarlane handling touchline duties for that loss. Now the former Strasbourg and Hull City boss gets his opportunity to oversee his inaugural match.
Chelsea remain without a win across five matches and have secured only three victories since the November international break concluded, with Rosenior eager to experience a new manager uplift and quickly win over the club's fanbase. A dominant victory against Charlton would represent the perfect beginning, though the threat of an unexpected cup elimination at the hands of Championship opponents looms.
Charlton presently sit 19th in the Championship and are four matches without success as they gear up for their most challenging fixture of the season. Manager Nathan Jones has always possessed abundant self-confidence and his squad must embrace that same belief if they hope to achieve a stunning upset in their first encounter with the Blues since 2007.
Can Charlton ruin Rosenior's Chelsea bow? Only if they can harness the enchantment of the FA Cup.
Here's Sports Illustrated's preview of the encounter.
What Time Does Charlton vs. Chelsea Kick Off?
Charlton vs. Chelsea Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
Current Form (All Competitions)
Charlton | Chelsea |
|---|---|
Blackburn 2–2 Charlton - 04/01/26 | Fulham 2–1 Chelsea - 07/01/26 |
Charlton 1–1 Coventry - 01/01/26 | Man City 1–1 Chelsea - 04/01/26 |
Portsmouth 2–1 Charlton - 29/12/25 | Chelsea 2–2 Bournemouth - 30/12/25 |
Norwich 1–0 Charlton - 26/12/25 | Chelsea 1–2 Aston Villa - 27/12/25 |
Charlton 1–0 Oxford United - 20/12/25 | Newcastle 2–2 Chelsea - 20/12/25 |
How to Watch Charlton vs. Chelsea on TV, Live Stream
Country | TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
United Kingdom | TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports Ultimate, discovery+, discovery+ App |
United States | ESPN Select, ESPN App, fuboTV |
Canada | Sportsnet World, Sportsnet Plus, Sportsnet 360 |
Mexico | FOX One |
Charlton Team News
Jones, who suffered two FA Cup defeats to Chelsea during his tenure at Luton Town, will be missing three players for the Blues' visit. Kayne Ramsay, Matt Godden and Onel Hernández are all sidelined with injury concerns.
Jones has verified that Reece Burke and Miles Leaburn should both be fit for the fixture despite picking up knocks in the 2–2 stalemate with Blackburn Rovers last weekend.
Charlie Kelman is someone Chelsea must monitor closely, with the forward having netted twice in his previous outing to bring his total to four goals across his last six appearances.
Charlton Predicted Lineup vs. Chelsea
Charlton predicted lineup vs. Chelsea (3-5-2): Kaminski; Burke, Jones, Bell; Bree, Carey, Coventry, Rankin-Costello, Campbell; Leaburn, Kelman.
Chelsea Team News
All attention will focus on Rosenior's debut Chelsea selection but alterations are anticipated from the side that lost at Craven Cottage in midweek. The 41-year-old should continue utilizing fringe players from his extensive squad, particularly with consideration for the midweek Carabao Cup semifinal first leg against Arsenal.
Chelsea will be without Marc Cucurella for the match following his direct red card in the Fulham defeat, while injuries ensure that Levi Colwill, Roméo Lavia and Dário Essugo will all be absent, along with the suspended Mykhailo Mudryk.
Filip Jörgensen, Josh Acheampong, Andrey Santos, Jamie Gittens and Marc Guiu are among the squad players potentially receiving opportunities.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Charlton
Chelsea predicted lineup vs. Charlton (4-2-3-1): Jörgensen; Acheampong, Adarabioyo, Badiashile, Hato; Santos, Fernández; Estêvão, Pedro, Gittens; Guiu.
Charlton vs. Chelsea Score Prediction
There will probably be initial challenges for Chelsea as Rosenior seeks to establish a new approach but even their rotated team should face minimal difficulty securing the new manager his maiden victory with the Blues.
Charlton are enduring difficulties in the Championship and while The Valley will be electric on Saturday evening, the Blues' superior talent and squad depth means success should be straightforward.
Chelsea are anticipated to emphasize energy and creative attacking play under Rosenior and they will be eager to showcase their abilities in the weekend's London clash.