As Chelsea FC quickly shift their attention from one domestic cup competition to the other, their overall team fitness situation remains mostly unchanged. Malo Gusto (knock) and Christopher Nkunku (hip) are both touch and go for Friday’s FA Cup clash at home versus Aston Villa.
Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino maintains that the latest injury to Nkunku is not serious, but the striker has been out awhile, and we’re not sure if he’ll be back on the weekend, so some healthy skepticism must be maintained.
FA Cup Fourth Round FYIs
Chelsea FC vs Aston Villa
Kick: Fri. Jan. 26, 7:45pm, Stamford Bridge, London, UK
Chelsea Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Book on the Premier League authored by The Sports Bank Founder Paul M. Banks: go here
Fun Fact: Chelsea has a very impressive form guide across their last 47 FA Cup clashes at Stamford Bridge: 40W5D2L
Blues Team News
Elsewhere Lesley Ugochukwu (hamstring), Marc Cucurella (ankle), Robert Sanchez (knee), Wesley Fofana (ACL), Romeo Lavia (thigh) and Reece James (thigh) remain sidelined, long-term while Nicolas Jackson is with Senegal, as they defend their Africa Cup of Nations title.
Speaking after the 6-1 League Cup win over Middlesbrough last night, which gave Chelsea a 6-2 win on aggregate in the semifinal tie, manager Mauricio Pochettino discussed where the club is right and where they are striving to be.
“What is Chelsea and what is the team are two different things,” the first year manager said.
“The history of Chelsea, its capacity to win titles, score goals, means it is a challenge to be at this incredible club. We have had to build a team from the start of season, so to be at a Wembley final is good.
“But we have to win it. Chelsea are about winning Champions Leagues, but we are at Wembley and it is important for us and important for the club.
Making a cup final is a big deal, and especially so for a team that has been middling around mid-table all season long. After all, “mid” is the slang term that kids use these days to describe something as mediocre and unimpressive.
“For this young team, the experience of going to Wembley will be to build the trust and the confidence. For Chelsea as a club, the mentality is already amazing, but for the team it is good for the players,” Pochettino continued.
“We are improving. We are competing in many things again and to reach a final was the first objective of the season.
“We are improving because we are believing. Don’t listen too much when we are not doing well, keep the focus and see the reality as we need to see it.”
A lot of what Pochettino is saying here is reminiscent of some of his prose form earlier this season, specifically, when he said that Chelsea is “really building something” and his prediction that “very good things are coming.”
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager 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’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now, while writing for the International Baseball Writers Association of America. You can follow the website on Twitter.