Friday the 13th brings the resumption of the FA Cup competition, with Chelsea visiting Hull City. Blues boss Liam Rosenior did his prematch press conference earlier today, providing injury/fitness updates on defenders Marc Cucurella and Reece James. This is going to be a very special match for Rosenior, who both played for the Tigers (2010-2015) and managed them (2022-24).
And his connections to Hull City don’t stop there- his grandmother was actually one of the club’s season ticket holders.
FA Cup 4th Round FYIs
Chelsea FC at Hull City
Kickoff: Fri. Feb 13, 7:45pm
Venue: MKM Stadium, London, UK
So this will be a huge day for Rosenior, on many levels, despite this contest being against a Championship side.
Blues Team News
Cucurella was forced off at halftime of Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Leeds United yesterday, due to a hamstring injury.
“Marc is too early to know,” Rosenior said earlier today. “Obviously, he is definitely out for the game against Hull. We’re doing our scans and assessments.”
As for James, he’s feeling ill right now.
Rosenior provided an update: “Reece trained modified [on Wednesday]. He’s still under the weather. We’ll make a decision tomorrow [Thursday] but it’s good that he’s back on the training pitch. “He has had a really bad bug but hopefully he recovers.”
And then finally Romeo Lavia, Levi Colwill, Dario Essugo, Jamie Gittens, Filip Jorgensen and Tosin Adarabioyo remain sidelined. Perhaps Lavia and Adarabioyo are moving closer towards a return, but it won’t happen in a match like this, at a lower side.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG.org and Ratings.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.