Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior has shared the latest team news ahead of his side’s FA Cup fifth-round clash with Wrexham on Saturday.
The Blues travel to North East Wales to face the Championship side, looking to secure a place in the last eight of the competition after also recording an emphatic 4-0 win over another second-tier side, Hull Cit,y in the previous round.
However, the two-time European champions have been dealt an injury setback ahead of the tie, with wingers Estevao Willian and Jamie Gittens both ruled out after failing to recover in time.
Brazilian teenager Estevao has impressed for the Blues in his debut season in England and found the net in the victory over Hull City in the fourth round.
However, he has not featured since then after suffering a hamstring injury prior to the 1-1 draw against Burnley last month.
The 18-year-old has missed Chelsea’s last three matches across all competitions, although he could return in time for next week’s crucial UEFA Champions League Round of 16 clash against Paris Saint-Germain.
Speaking during Friday’s pre-match press conference, Rosenior confirmed the news in quotes shared by the official Chelsea website.
“Estevao is back on the pitch, but he is not quite ready for this one”, Rosenior revealed.
“He just needs to clear a few more markers first, and we need to be careful with him given he’s had a hamstring injury. It will be a big boost to have him back with the group.”
Meanwhile, Gittens is also sidelined but is expected to return to action soon. The England 21-year-old has struggled for consistency in his first season at Chelsea and has been out since sustaining a hamstring injury during the 3–2 comeback win over West Ham United in January.
That setback has kept him out of Chelsea’s last seven matches across all competitions, including the dominant FA Cup victory over Hull City in the previous round.
“Elsewhere, Jamie Gittens is getting really close [to a return] and he had a really positive scan. We hope that he can be back with the group within the next seven days or so”, the Chelsea boss added.
With the Champions League clash against PSG in mind, Rosenior is likely to rotate his squad for the trip to Wrexham.
However, Chelsea will be determined to avoid an upset and book their spot in the FA Cup quarter-finals for the second time in three seasons.
