Chelsea’s chance to redeem an utterly disastrous campaign arrives on Saturday afternoon when they face off against Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
A silver lining could be found at Wembley Stadium that would help appease an increasingly disillusioned fanbase, although Chelsea’s recent record at the venue leaves much to be desired. After defeat in the 2023–24 Carabao Cup final, they became the first team ever to lose six consecutive finals at Wembley.
Toppling Man City will prove an almighty task, and Calum McFarlane will need to lean on all the weapons in his arsenal to achieve the feat. Unfortunately, there are a number of fitness issues that have emerged in recent weeks.
Here is the latest on Chelsea’s injured stars ahead of the FA Cup final.
Robert Sánchez
- Injury: Head
- Possible Return Date: May 16 (vs. Man City)
A worrying head injury during Chelsea’s dismal 3–1 defeat to Nottingham Forest ruled Robert Sánchez out of last weekend’s stalemate with Liverpool, Filip Jörgensen replacing the Spaniard in between the sticks.
However, Chelsea’s first-choice stopper should make his comeback on Saturday, with McFarlane insisting his progress has been “really positive” after a full week of training in the lead up to Wembley.
Benoît Badiashile
- Injury: Illness
- Possible Return Date: Unknown
Benoît Badiashile hasn’t played for Chelsea since mid-March despite not suffering with any reported injury. Instead, the Frenchman appears to be absent with a mystery illness.
There’s no certainty over his potential return date.
Jesse Derry
- Injury: Head
- Possible Return Date: Unknown
Chelsea youngster Jesse Derry was also withdrawn against Forest due to a sickening head injury, the 18-year-old stretchered off after lengthy treatment on his first-ever Premier League start.
Unfortunately for Derry, his season is over, and it remains to be seen when he will return from the sidelines.
Jamie Gittens
- Injury: Hamstring
- Possible Return Date: Unknown
An awful debut season with Chelsea has been decimated by several lengthy injury blows, with Jamie Gittens returning to the treatment room at the end of January with a hamstring problem.
The summer recruit, who has managed just one goal in 27 appearances this season, appears extremely unlikely to make the FA Cup final squad, with no return date yet penciled in.
Estêvão
- Injury: Hamstring
- Possible Return Date: Unknown
Estêvão’s season has come to a premature end, the Brazilian sustaining a hamstring tear in the draw with Manchester United last month.
The teenager has missed every subsequent fixture and is out for the remainder of the club campaign, with his place in Brazil’s 2026 World Cup squad also under serious threat.
Alejandro Garnacho
- Injury: Muscle
- Possible Return Date: May 16 (vs. Man City)
Chelsea’s injury issues are almost exclusively in wide areas, with Alejandro Garnacho one of those struggling. The Argentine has been sidelined with a muscle strain since the FA Cup semifinal with Leeds United.
However, Garnacho is expected to make his comeback against Man City—the team he scored against for Manchester United in the 2023–24 FA Cup final—with McFarlane “really hopeful” of his involvement after a return to training.
Pedro Neto
- Injury: Muscle
- Possible Return Date: May 16 (vs. Man City)
Pedro Neto is another winger in slight doubt to feature on Saturday, the Portugal international having sat out the defeat to Forest and draw with Liverpool due to a minor muscle injury.
Fortunately, McFarlane was also “really hopeful” of Neto’s availability for the final, with Chelsea desperately needing the pace and endeavor provided by their speedy wide man. He returned to training this week and, like Garnacho, should have no problem featuring at Wembley.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Chelsea Injuries: Every Player Ruled Out of FA Cup Final.
