{"id":9084,"date":"2026-05-16T10:46:33","date_gmt":"2026-05-16T10:46:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=9084"},"modified":"2026-05-16T10:46:33","modified_gmt":"2026-05-16T10:46:33","slug":"pep-guardiola-names-seven-chelsea-players-he-is-worried-about-ahead-of-the-fa-cup-final","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=9084","title":{"rendered":"Pep Guardiola names seven Chelsea players he is worried about ahead of the FA Cup final"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Chelsea are going to need their best players to step up and impress if they are to beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final. although Pep Guardiola has concerns about seven of their first team stars.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A poor season in the Premier League has ended Chelsea\u2019s chances of qualifying for the Champions League next season, and also brought to an end time in charge for Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior.<\/p>\n

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Calum McFarlane will lead the Blues out at Wembley, having managed just a handful of games as the interim boss.<\/p>\n

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Would you make any changes to our FA Cup final XI?<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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James and Colwill starting together for the first time since the Club World Cup\u2026<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n

Pep Guardiola worried about seven Chelsea players in the FA Cup final<\/h2>\n

Arguably his best result came up against Guardiola, stealing a point from the Etihad thanks to a late Enzo Fernandez equaliser.<\/p>\n

When talking about the game, the City boss insisted that he was not overconfident based on their recent record against the Blues, namedropping seven players who could have a serious impact in the final.<\/p>\n

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Photo by Chris Lee \u2013 Chelsea FC\/Chelsea FC via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

He said to BBC Sport:\u201dI see Calum (McFarlane) when they played against Liverpool, what they have done against us, to smell what maybe they are going to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd after, when I see Colwill, Reece James, Cucurella, Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro, all of them are top players. <\/p>\n

\u201cA few months ago, not one decade ago, they were world champions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chelsea\u2019s victory at the Club World Cup came at the expense of City, who were eliminated early in the knockout rounds of the competition.<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s good news for Chelsea, but is it enough? \ud83c\udfc6<\/h3>\n

Calum McFarlane’s latest injury update.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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McFarlane\u2019s selection headache for FA Cup final<\/h2>\n

Chelsea found far more success than in recent weeks at Anfield last time out when they operated in a back three, a system they have been tipped to stick with this afternoon.<\/p>\n

Blues supporters were buoyed by the return to the XI for Levi Colwill in that game, and could see him start alongside Reece James for the first time since the Club World Cup final.<\/p>\n

There may be an appetite for James to start in midfield, although this would see Romeo Lavia and Andrey Santos both drop to the bench.<\/p>\n

It would also set up Chelsea to struggle up against Jeremy Doku, with the skipper a better defensive option than Malo Gusto.<\/p>\n

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