Three big FA Cup decisions Chelsea boss Callum McFarlane faces
Interim Chelsea manager Callum McFarlane has a lot of work to do if he wants to help the club win the FA Cup against Manchester City at Wembley Stadium.
The Blues have tumbled down the Premier League table over the past few months and now look set to miss out on Europe altogether as they sit ninth on the log.
That means Chelsea’s only hope of qualifying for Europe lies in winning the FA Cup, which doesn’t bode well, given their horrendous record against City and at Wembley.
Becoming nine-time FA Cup winners seems like a pipe dream. And as if that’s not enough, McFarlane still has several dilemmas to sort out ahead of the Wembley showpiece.
Should Reece James start?
Chelsea captain Reece James has had another one of his usual stop-start campaigns, but the injury woes have been well-managed this time around.
Nevertheless, he spent the last two months on the sidelines with a hamstring injury before making his return in the 1-1 draw against Liverpool at Anfield.
James was only on the pitch for about half an hour, but that was enough to show Chelsea what they had been missing in his absence.
Slotting into midfield for the final 27 minutes, James had 37 touches and won four out of four duels. He also recorded a tackle, an interception, two clearances and four ball recoveries.
James came through that cameo unscathed, and barring any unfortunate setbacks, he should be in line to make his first start since the 1-0 defeat against Newcastle United in mid-March.
As one of the most influential players on the roster, naming James in the starting XI is a no-brainer for McFarlane, especially in a game of such magnitude.
James or Malo Want to play right back?
There have been questions about whether McFarlane can afford to start a player who is just returning from injury on such a big occasion.
However, that’s a moot point considering the Blues are significantly better with James in the team.
McFarlane has to decide whether to stick the England international at right back or in central midfield alongside Moises Caicedo.
If James is to start in midfield, Andrey Santos will undoubtedly be the player to make way, having failed to make the most of his opportunity against Liverpool.
Aside from that, McFarlane admitted that he was impressed with Malo Gusto’s performance, and that kind of praise doesn’t come without any rewards.
Gusto will likely reprise his role at Wembley, but would need to be at his best as he’d be going up against Jeremy Doku, who has been one of the most in-form wingers in the league over the past few weeks.
Marc Cucurella or Pedro Neto at left wing?
With Chelsea short on attacking options on the flanks, there were questions about how McFarlane would address the issue.
However, no one expected to see Marc Cucurella line up as a left winger against Liverpool.
The Spaniard took to his new role like a duck to water, causing the Liverpool backline plenty of problems by constantly running in-behind.
With Pedro Neto expected to return in time for the FA Cup final, McFarlane has to decide whether to stick with the Spaniard or restore the Portuguese winger to the team.
While McFarlane’s experiment helped Cucurella produce one of his best performances in a Chelsea shirt in recent times, he lacked the ruthlessness of a winger.
That could be the only stumbling block toward repeating that trick, although it’s worth noting that the Spaniard has just three goal contributions since the October international break.
On the flip side, McFarlane could also weaponise Neto’s pace in behind the Man City rearguard.
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