Chelsea will head into Saturday’s FA Cup final against Manchester City at Wembley Stadium with a significantly depleted squad, as four key players have been ruled out of the showpiece occasion.
While manager Calum McFarlane delivered some positive news in his Thursday press conference, confirming that Robert Sanchez, Pedro Neto, and Alejandro Garnacho are all set to return from injury and feature in the final, the absences elsewhere represent a major setback for the Blues.
The trio missed Chelsea’s recent draw against Liverpool but have recovered in time for the trip to Wembley, offering a timely boost in what promises to be a high-stakes encounter. Reece James and Levi Colwill also emerged unscathed from the Anfield fixture, with James making his first appearance in nearly two months and Colwill completing his first full 90 minutes in almost a year. Their availability provides some much-needed stability at the back and in leadership.
However, the list of unavailable players is concerning. Chelsea will be without Jamie Gittens, Estevao Willian, Jesse Derry, and Mykhailo Mudryk for the final against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
Jamie Gittens remains sidelined with a hamstring injury. The 21-year-old winger, who arrived from Borussia Dortmund last summer, has endured a disappointing debut campaign at Stamford Bridge. After failing to consistently impress in the first half of the season, he has barely featured since Christmas due to the hamstring problem. His last outing came on January 31, and it remains unclear whether he will play any further part this season.
Estevao Willian has been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign. The Brazilian international suffered a severe grade four hamstring injury in the defeat to Manchester United last month, an issue serious enough to also sideline him from this summer’s World Cup. His absence deprives Chelsea of a dynamic attacking option at the worst possible time.
Teenage winger Jesse Derry continues to recover from a nasty head injury sustained in the loss to Nottingham Forest earlier in the month. Although he made two appearances in the FA Cup run leading up to the final, he will miss the biggest game of the season.
Finally, Mykhailo Mudryk remains unavailable, having been suspended since December 2024 after failing a drugs test. The Ukrainian winger is appealing a four-year ban, but the suspension means he will play no role in Chelsea’s end-of-season push.
With these four attackers and midfield contributors confirmed absent, Chelsea’s attacking depth and creativity will be tested to the limit against a Manchester City side that needs no invitation to punish defensive lapses or lack of cutting edge. While the returns of Sanchez, Neto, and Garnacho provide hope, the scale of the enforced absences hands City a significant advantage heading into Wembley.
For Chelsea, the challenge has become steeper. Success on Saturday would now represent a considerable achievement against the odds, while Manchester City will sense a genuine opportunity to lift the FA Cup with a weakened opponent standing in their way.