N’Golo Kante is fully fit and should start, while Willy Caballero should continue ahead of Kepa Arrizabalaga for Chelsea against Arsenal in the FA Cup final.
Chelsea will be looking to end their domestic 2019/20 campaign on a high when they face off against London rivals Arsenal in the final of the FA Cup at the Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
Ahead of the game, Chelsea have been handed a fresh injury concern, as midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek has been ruled out. But, there is good news as well, as N’Golo Kante is back to full fitness, while Willian has also recovered from an ankle issue, manager Frank Lampard confirmed in his pre-match presser.
“Ruben Loftus-Cheek has a small problem he picked up yesterday so he’s out of the game. N’Golo Kante and Willian are in the squad so we’ll see if they’re fit to be in the starting 11,” he said.
Lampard made a huge call by dropping Kepa Arrizabalaga from the lineup in Chelsea’s final league game against Wolves. And it is very much unlikely that the Spaniard will be back in the side for the FA Cup final, with Willy Caballero set to feature again in goal.
In the last couple of matches, Lampard has used a three-man defence and to good effect. So, the manager is expected to go ahead with the same setup, with captain Cesar Azpilicueta, Kurt Zouma and Antonio Rudiger forming the backline against Arsenal. Reece James and Marcos Alonso ought to line up as the full-backs on Saturday.
Mateo Kovacic, who has enjoyed a solid campaign, is expected to be retained in the middle of the park. While Jorginho has been used alongside him of late, the return of Kante should see Lampard slot the Frenchman back into the starting XI in place of his vice-captain, who continues to be linked with Juventus.
Even though Willian is back to full fitness, Chelsea are expected to stick with Mason Mount on the right flank, following his stellar performance against Wolves in the last game. In-form attacker Christian Pulisic is a certainty on the left wing for the Blues.
Spearheading the attack for Chelsea will be former Arsenal star Olivier Giroud, with Tammy Abraham providing cover from the bench.
Chelsea Predicted XI: Caballero; Azpilicueta, Zouma, Rudiger; James, Kante, Kovacic, Alonso; Mount, Giroud, Pulisic
