Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea have, on Sunday evening, been dealt an early blow on the personnel front during the club’s meeting with Crystal Palace.
The player to have been forced out of proceedings? Mateo Kovacic.
Inside the opening 25 minutes of action at Wembley, Croatian international Kovacic pulled up with an unspecified fitness issue.
In turn, the former Real Madrid man, of course such a key figure in Chelsea’s ranks in the middle of the park, was left with little choice but to depart the action prematurely.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek, meanwhile, was the player chosen to take his place:
Mateo Kovacic is replaced by Ruben Loftus-Cheek as we’re forced into an early change.
? 0-0 ? [25’] #EmiratesFACup
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 17, 2022
Palace stand firm
The club’s latest blow on the personnel front comes amid what has proven an altogether testing evening for Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea thus far.
The Pensioners’ efforts to break down a stubborn Crystal Palace outfit throughout the first-half have come up short, with only the brilliance of Edouard Mendy having prevented Patrick Vieira’s Eagles from opening the scoring themselves.
Fantastic save by Mendy to deny Kouyate on the volley! ?
? 0-0 ? [36’] #EmiratesFACup
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 17, 2022
Chelsea, just days on from being ousted from the Champions League at the hands of Real Madrid, will therefore need to up their game in a major way over the course of the 2nd-half, if they hope to book their spot in an FA Cup finale showdown with Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in just shy of a month’s time.
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