Chelsea XI versus Leeds: Confirmed team news, probable lineup, and injury news for FA Cup today

The French forward is being tested two days after playing almost an hour of Sunday’s Carabao Cup final Chelsea will be without Christopher Nkunku for Leeds’ visit to Stamford Bridge in the FA Cup this evening. Chelsea will be without Christopher Nkunku for Leeds’ visit to Stamford Bridge in the FA Cup this evening.

“It’s difficult for him. We watched him when he arrived in pre-season. He was flying on the training pitch until he got injured. Now it has been over eight months, and he has been involved again, but he is not the same player as before.

“We have in our head the amazing Nkunku from pre-season but it is not the same player because of the circumstances. That’s why it is sometimes unfair when we judge.”

It is another significant blow for Nkunku, who has experienced an injury-hit start to life at Chelsea and only made his debut in December after coming in the summer. Another niggle ruled him out of virtually the entire of January and he is now again suffering with fitness.

Nkunku will now miss Wednesday’s FA Cup showdown against Leeds and a possible quarter-final should Chelsea progress. Premier League fixtures against Brentford, Newcastle, and Arsenal are also in jeopardy before hosting Burnley at the end of March.

Also sidelined are Marc Cucurella and Thiago Silva, who are “in partial team training for the reconditioning phase.” Benoit Badiashile, Carney Chukwuemeka, Wesley Fofana, Reece James, Romeo Lavia, and Lesley Ugochukwu are all “continuing to undergo [their] rehabilitation program.”.