Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca will be delighted to get the chance to rotate his first team squad tomorrow as they get their FA Cup journey underway.
The Blues will be looking to go further than the semi-final stage they reached last season under Mauricio Pochettino, and start that campaign with a home tie against Morecambe.
Some of the first team players will welcome the break after a busy festive period, where a number of top players have fallen to injury problems.
Romeo Lavia and Reece James both available for Chelsea in FA Cup
Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile are set to be out for some time still, however there is more positive news when it comes to key duo Reece James and Romeo Lavia.
The club captain was tipped to return last game against Crystal Palace, however remained on the bench as Josh Acheampong started his first domestic game for the club.
Maresca has claimed that both players are able to get minutes tomorrow, with the standard of opposition lower than what they would normally face.
He said in his pre-match press conference: “They are both available. They can get some minutes for tomorrow’s game. Benoit Badiashile, Wes Fofana and Kiernan [are out], the rest are all available.”
Chelsea’s woeful recent record without Romeo Lavia
The Blues have now gone five Premier League games without Lavia in the squad after he was replaced at half-time in the win over Tottenham.
In that time, Chelsea have lost twice and drawn twice, with their only win coming against Brentford.
His presence in the first team squad will allow for either of Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo to be handed a more regular break, with both beginning to show signs of fatigue after playing so many games consistently.
However, it has to be noted that since making the move to Stamford Bridge he has been unable to stay fit for a prolonged period of time, and this is surely going to become a worry if the trend continues.
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