Enzo Fernandez will play no part in Chelsea’s FA Cup quarter-final match against Leicester after he picked up a suspension.
The Blues took on Leeds at Stamford Bridge in the fifth round and made a disastrous start, as Moises Caicedo was caught on the edge of his own box and Mateo Joseph fired the visitors into an early lead.
Chelsea responded well though, equalising through Nicolas Jackson before Mykhailo Mudryk gave them a half-time lead after finishing off a lovely move.
Joseph levelled it up again after the break with his second of the night and Leeds looked the more likely to find a winner, but Conor Gallagher stepped up in the 90th minute to send the Blues through.
Pochettino’s side will now host Leicester in March in the last-eight of the FA Cup, when a place at Wembley will be on the line.
However, Fernandez will be suspended for that match, after his yellow card late in the first-half against Leeds.
The 23-year-old was booked for dissent, as he voiced his frustration at not getting a decision. Fernandez went down from a Leeds free-kick, but play was waved on and Dan James ultimately fired over the bar.
In the FA Cup, players who pick up two yellow cards in the competition are suspended for the following match, and Fernandez has now reached that mark.
The midfielder was also booked in the previous round, when Chelsea beat Aston Villa 3-0 in a replay. It was a needless yellow card too, with Fernandez punished for taking his shirt off after scoring a wonderful free-kick.
With the Blues already without a host of first-team players due to injury, Pochettino will be frustrated at losing a key man in midfield.
