‘Estevao unfortunately won’t play for us this season,’ said Calum McFarlane, Chelsea’s interim manager. The team prepares to face Leeds United in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday. Chelsea aims to continue their impressive FA Cup run despite recent league struggles.
The Blues have netted four or more goals in each round to date. They are the competition’s top scorers with 20 goals this season. Chelsea has advanced from nine of their last 11 FA Cup semi-final appearances.
But Chelsea’s manager, Liam Rosenior, was dismissed after a 3-0 defeat at Brighton. McFarlane steps in as interim boss, facing a challenging match against Leeds United. The winner will progress to the May 16 final against either Manchester City or Southampton.
Leeds United, on the other hand, is making history as the first newly promoted side to reach the FA Cup semi-finals since 2018/19. They last reached the final in the 1972/73 season and dream of lifting the trophy again after 51 years.
Chelsea could become the first side to score four or more goals in five straight FA Cup games. Estevao Willian is out for the remainder of the season due to a hamstring injury, while Leeds will be without Ilia Gruev for the match.
In terms of line-ups, Chelsea’s predicted formation includes Sanchez, Gusto, Chalobah, Hato, Cucurella, Santos, Caicedo, Fernandez, Palmer, Neto, and Joao Pedro. Leeds United is expected to field Perri, Struijk, Bijol, Rodon, Bogle, Ampadu, Tanaka, Gudmundsson, Aaronson, Okafor, and Calvert-Lewin.
Leeds comes into this match with seven games without defeat across all competitions. They face a formidable opponent in Chelsea but are buoyed by their recent form.
Chelsea holds a historical advantage over Leeds in cup encounters. They have won both previous matches between these rivals in knockout competitions.
This clash promises excitement as both teams chase their respective goals in this prestigious tournament. With a place in the final on the line, every moment counts at Wembley Stadium.
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