Antonio Conte will be without four first-team players as Chelsea get set to face Manchester United in the FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday.
Chelsea will have the chance to end a dismal season in the best possible way when they meet Manchester United in the FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday. And, Antonio Conte iterated the same in his pre-match press conference, emphasising the importance of winning the FA Cup at the business end of a “difficult season”.
“This game is very important because we can finish a difficult season with a trophy. It’s important for the players, the coach and the fans to finish the season with a trophy. We are focused on this target. We have to try to do everything to win the game.”
Meanwhile, Emerson Palmieri will miss the final game of the season after picking up an injury in training this week. The Brazilian joins David Luiz, Ethan Ampadu and Danny Drinkwater on the treatment table, although the absences are unlikely to hurt Chelsea much, with none of the players being first-choice in their respective positions.
The biggest decision that Conte faces is the formation he will use on Saturday, with the Chelsea boss trying both the 3-5-2 and 3-4-3 in recent weeks. However, considering the fact that the side has done better with just two men upfront, the manager might stick to the 3-5-2.
The decision on who those two men will be is a no-brainer, with Eden Hazard and Olivier Giroud the in-form players, leaving Willian, Pedro and Alvaro Morata on the bench as the impact substitutes. In midfield, the trio of Tiemoue Bakayoko, N’Golo Kante and Cesc Fabregas should start, with the Spaniard providing the creative impetus.
With Emerson unavailable, Marcos Alonso is an automatic selection in the left wing-back slot, with Victor Moses expected to operate from the opposite flank. In the back-three, Cesar Azpilicueta and Antonio Rudiger should definitely start, with captain Gary Cahill likely to pip Andreas Christensen to the final spot.
Right at the back, Willy Caballero has started each of Chelsea’s FA Cup games so far. But, as we saw in the Carabao Cup semi-final, Thibaut Courtois could be preferred for the clutch game, having completely recovered from his injury. Meanwhile, Conte also predicted that it should be a close, tactical affair on Saturday.
“This is a final. When you play the final, the most important thing is to win. It will be a tactical game for sure. I don’t know what type of game we will see, but for sure it will be very tough for both teams.”
