Chelsea are without Kepa Arrizabalaga and Jorginho as they look to earn their place in the FA Cup semi-final. The Blues take on Middlesbrough at the Riverside, hoping to beat lower league opposition for the fourth time in this season's competition.
However, Thomas Tuchel is without the Spanish goalkeeper who had started each of the previous FA Cup rounds. The German coach is already without Callum Hudson-Odoi, Reece James, Ben Chilwell, Andreas Christensen and Saul Niguez.
Nevertheless the Blues boss has still been able to make five changes to his Chelsea side as Malang Sarr, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Hakim Ziyech and Romelu Lukaku come into the starting XI. It's a strong team that retains the likes of Cesar Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva and Antonio Rudiger from the team that overcame Lille in the Champions League.
READ MORE: Middlesbrough vs Chelsea LIVE: Confirmed starting XI as Romelu Lukaku and Malang Sarr start
The German coach made it clear he wanted to some freshness in his starting XI but offered no specifics on Jorginho or Kepa. He said: "We have some fresh legs and fresh minds on the pitch to put pressure on them, to control the game to have answers to their strong offensive approach. We expect a tough match because Middlesbrough proved in their last cup matches that they are capable of producing over-performances and they like to play the role of underdog. Today is the same situation.
Tuchel has also made clear his love for the FA Cup as he hopes to reach consecutive finals in the competition after taking over at Stamford Bridge.
"I expect an FA Cup atmosphere," said Tuchel in his pre-match press conference. "An emotional stadium, an emotional crowd. We love the competition. I love the FA Cup. So we expect a tough away match against a strong team. Not more than that. But this is what we expect, and it will be a challenge for us."
The Blues look set to line up with four at the back, Malang Sarr playing on the left as he did against Newcastle. Loftus-Cheek is joined in midfield by Mateo Kovacic and Mason Mount while Lukaku is flanked by Ziyech and Pulisic in the front free.
