ไทย
English
中國人
Chelsea return to competitive action following the international break with a highly favorable FA Cup quarterfinal matchup against League One side Port Vale.
Liam Rosenior has navigated a turbulent stretch in west London. Results have taken a turn for the worse—four straight losses eliminated Chelsea from the Champions League and put a dent in their top-five Premier League aspirations—while off-field remarks from Enzo Fernández and Marc Cucurella have raised questions about the club's internal management.
Fernández's public courtship of Real Madrid prompted Rosenior to leave him out of Chelsea's next two fixtures—this FA Cup clash with Port Vale and a high-profile Premier League meeting with Manchester City on April 12—and his absence will be closely monitored.
Port Vale caused a major upset in the fifth round by defeating Sunderland, and may view Chelsea's current struggles as a golden opportunity for a famous giant-killing.
Chelsea Still Without Key Defenders
Although Rosenior offered an encouraging injury update ahead of the international break concerning the ankle problem Trevoh Chalobah picked up in the 3–0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain, the English center back is not expected to return until May.
Chelsea also lost skipper Reece James to another hamstring complaint prior to their defeats against PSG and Everton, though he is anticipated to return before the month is out—welcome news not just for Chelsea fans, but for the England setup too.
Meanwhile, Jamie Gittens appears to be nearing a full recovery from his hamstring problem—one he had seemingly managed before suffering a setback last month. Estêvão did make his return before the break and should feature in the starting eleven on Saturday—potentially in the No. 10 position—while Dário Essugo and Roméo Lavia could form a midfield partnership with Fernández sidelined and Moisés Caicedo needing rest after international duty.
Levi Colwill has yet to feature this season following an ACL injury, while goalkeeper Filip Jörgensen continues to manage a minor fitness concern.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Port Vale (4-2-3-1)
GK: Robert Sánchez—With Jörgensen's fitness in doubt, Sánchez is set to continue as Chelsea's first choice between the sticks, though his recent performances haven't made a compelling case against the Dane reclaiming the spot once healthy.
RB: Josh Acheampong—Malo Gusto turned heads with France during the break, but young Acheampong could be handed a start at right back against League One opposition.
CB: Wesley Fofana—Tosin Adarabioyo's recurring concentration lapses are a concern for Rosenior, who may turn to first-choice center back Fofana instead.
CB: Benoît Badiashile—The former Monaco defender is in contention for his third FA Cup outing after recovering from a recent illness.
LB: Marc Cucurella—Jorrel Hato has been a regular in this competition, but Rosenior may be eager to signal that Cucurella's comments during the break were of little consequence.
DM: Roméo Lavia—Lavia's fitness has held up well so far. The midfielder has been carefully reintegrated following his latest injury layoff, and Chelsea will be hoping their gifted No. 45 can build some real momentum in the latter stages of the 2025–26 season.
DM: Dário Essugo—Essugo has been hampered by injuries throughout the campaign and has had limited opportunities as a result. However, the flashes he has shown suggest he should cope comfortably against third-tier midfield competition.
RW: Pedro Neto—Neto already has an FA Cup hat-trick to his name this season, with much of his damage inflicted from the right flank during the fourth-round win over Hull City.
AM: Estêvão—It has been a difficult period for Chelsea, but a bright spark has returned at just the right moment. Estêvão has largely operated on the right during his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge, though Rosenior may opt to deploy the Brazilian in a more central role here.
LW: Alejandro Garnacho—Garnacho netted against Wrexham in a thrilling fifth-round tie and has been a consistent presence throughout Chelsea's FA Cup journey.
ST: Liam Delap—The powerful English striker has found his first season at Stamford Bridge a tough one, with fans debating whether he is up to the required standard. Those doubts are unlikely to disappear even if he delivers on Saturday night.