Chelsea have received a major boost in their FA Cup chances as midfield duo Mateo Kovacic and N’Golo Kante managed to travel with the squad to Wembley for the FA Cup final this weekend. It comes ahead of a huge match against Liverpool, where the duo have been doubts due to injury.
Their presence could be crucial for the Blues, who are looking to enact revenge on the Reds after their Carabao Cup final loss on penalties earlier this year. The two clubs have been on slightly different paths since, with Thomas Tuchel ’s men struggling to find consistency, while Jurgen Klopp’s side are chasing an unlikely quadruple.
The Chelsea manager can play a big part in denying those hopes, claiming his side will have to be “spot on” to win the game: “We always need our very highest level to compete, but we found it in the matches. I don't expect crazy new things from them [Liverpool] and also from us. The game is on tomorrow. A big final, big competition. We want to be spot on."
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However, there have been injury concerns for Tuchel to deal with in the build-up to the game. Kante has been out for the past three matches with an unspecified injury, while Kovacic was on the receiving end of a horror challenge against Leeds in midweek that left him in strapping.
While it seemed as though the Croatian midfielder would certainly miss out, the manager suggested otherwise in his pre-match press conference, stating: “It's pretty surprising to be in the situation where we can try, and Mateo wants to try it – and the medical department gave the green light to try it. The 'advantage' is the ligament is torn already from the last incident [in the FA Cup semi-final], so there is no new injury, just heavy pain.”
And, in a huge boost to the Blues, it appears as though both could be part of the squad heading into the game. From Chelsea’s official Twitter, Kovacic was spotted with the rest of his teammates boarding the bus in travelling to Wembley.
As for Kante, Football Daily uploaded a clip of Kante out on a morning walk with the rest of the squad in the build-up to the game. Should both be fit enough to be on the team sheet remains to be seen, however, both could be critical to the side in their attempt to win the FA Cup.
