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You couldn't quite say Chelsea had turned a corner after narrowly defeating rivals Leeds United to secure a place in the 2026 FA Cup final, but interim boss Calum McFarlane had seemingly breathed new life into a squad that had checked out under Liam Rosenior.
That optimism from Wembley quickly evaporated when a heavily-rotated Nottingham Forest side handed Chelsea a sixth consecutive Premier League loss. It served as yet another sobering reminder of how rapidly Chelsea, once on an encouraging trajectory under Enzo Maresca, have declined.
BlueCo's project has arrived at a critical juncture, regardless of whether the club lifts silverware next week.
McFarlane will undoubtedly have one eye on the domestic cup final as his side travel to Merseyside for what is not an especially intimidating fixture at Anfield. Great Chelsea teams have won at Liverpool late in the campaign on their way to Premier League titles, but this current squad is simply looking to salvage some dignity.
Here's the latest Chelsea team news, including every player unavailable for selection this weekend.
Every Chelsea Player Ruled Out vs. Liverpool
Robert Sánchez
Although Robert Sánchez came off better than Morgan Gibbs-White following their ugly head collision, Chelsea's first-choice goalkeeper will be absent for Saturday's visit to Anfield.
Sánchez was largely helpless as the Blues found themselves 3–0 down to Forest on Monday, and was substituted late in the match following the incident with the visitors' influential playmaker, who now sports a Harry Potter-esque scar.
Filip Jörgensen has recently returned from an injury lay-off and is fit to take his place in goal on Saturday. McFarlane will be hoping to have Sánchez available for the Cup final.
Estêvão
It is already confirmed that the Brazilian wonderkid won't feature for Chelsea before preseason at the earliest, and there are growing concerns over Estêvão's World Cup prospects after he sustained a grade four hamstring tear during last month's loss to Manchester United.
The young talent has chosen to forgo surgery and instead pursue rehabilitation in Brazil in a bid to keep his slim hopes of earning a place in Carlo Ancelotti's squad alive. Nevertheless, the odds are stacked against the exciting prospect, who may have to wait until 2030 for his World Cup debut.
Jamie Gittens
It had appeared that Jamie Gittens was on course for a faster-than-anticipated return from a hamstring injury sustained during Rosenior's tenure, having torn the muscle in January's 3–2 victory over West Ham United.
However, the former Borussia Dortmund winger suffered a setback in his rehabilitation just as he was preparing to return in the FA Cup tie against Port Vale.
It now appears Gittens will miss the rest of the season. There have been few updates since McFarlane resumed his managerial duties. Fellow wide players Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho are both doubts for the upcoming fixture, having each sat out Monday's defeat.
Jesse Derry
An even more alarming moment occurred before Sánchez's collision with Gibbs-White on Monday afternoon. Just before the half-time whistle, teenager Jesse Derry, making his first Premier League start, won Chelsea a penalty after being caught by a heavy challenge from Zach Abbott.
Derry lay on the pitch receiving medical attention for nearly 10 minutes before being stretchered off. Cole Palmer then squandered the resulting spot-kick as Derry was rushed to hospital.
While McFarlane described the "signs as really positive" concerning Derry's head injury, the interim manager confirmed that the lively young winger will not feature again this season.