Chelsea Team News: Trio Miss FA Cup Clash But Duo Set To Return For Tottenham Trip

Chelsea will be looking to book their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup when they take on Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon.

Assistant coach, Gianfranco Zola, has been speaking to the media at his pre-match press conference this afternoon and he’s provided a team news and injury update including the latest on Olivier Giroud, Pedro, Willian and Callum Hudson-Odoi.

Zola confirmed that Willian will miss the visit of Forest tomorrow after suffering a muscle problem during the first half of Chelsea’s 0-0 draw with Southampton on Wednesday night. The medical team are yet to provide a full update on Willian’s condition but Zola is confident the injury isn’t anything too serious.

Pedro will also be unavailable this weekend as he’s still nursing a hamstring injury that’s kept him out in recent weeks while Giroud will also miss the FA Cup clash due to an ankle injury that’s hampered him since last month.

However, Chelsea are hopeful the attacking duo will be back in contention for the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley next week.

So Chelsea will be without three attackers this weekend but Maurizio Sarri’s options in the final third have been boosted by the return to fitness of Hudson-Odoi after Zola confirmed he is likely to feature against Forest after returning to full training following a hamstring problem.

The teenagers return could see Eden Hazard given a well-earned rest as Chelsea will be keen to give their star man a breather following the busy festive and New Year period ahead of the trip to Tottenham next week.

Zola is quoted as saying by Football London:

We have some players who cannot play, like Pedro, Willian and Giroud. It will leave space for others. We will rotate a little.

Callum is back in full training, he is certainly available and I would very much like it if he is going to play.

Of course, Eden has been fantastic and an influential, but I believe tomorrow he might get a little rest.

The doctor hasn’t told us [about Willian’s injury], but I don’t think it is as bad. When it is a muscle problem you get scared, but I don’t think it is too big.

I think we might get Pedro and Giroud back for Tottenham.

Sarri is expected to rotate his starting eleven with Chelsea’s key players rested ahead of the Tottenham game. That means the likes of Davide Zappacosta, Andreas Christensen, Emerson Palmeiri and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are all expected to feature while Cesc Fabregas and Gary Cahill could also get recalls despite reports linking them with moves away from the club.