Chelsea FC Host Scunthorpe: Team News, Prediction And Stats
Chelsea FC welcome Scunthorpe United later today for a FA Cup tie as the Blues begin what will hopefully be a successful cup run.
The FA Cup presents Chelsea with their greatest opportunity to snag silverware this season. After their horrific first half of the campaign, the Blues will see this knock-out tournament as their most realistic shot at bringing a trophy back to Stamford Bridge.
This Third Round fixture will be the club’s first of the season as Premier League teams only enter at this stage. In what could be perceived as a good bit of luck, Chelsea were drawn against League One outfit Scunthorpe United and thus a comfortable win is expected.
After putting in their best display of the season against Crystal Palace, the Blues will be hoping for a convincing victory as they begin a pivotal three-game homestand.
Related Story: Look At Chelsea FC Captain John Terry And His Five FA Cups
Key Details
Chelsea FC v Scunthorpe United, 10th January 2016
Venue: Stamford Bridge
Time: 14:00 GMT, 09:00 ET
TV: BT Sport 2 (UK), Fox Sports 1 (US), check your country’s local listings here
Team News
Chelsea will continue to be without multiple players this afternoon. Loic Remy has returned to training but is still in a rehabilitation phase, meaning that he will miss out. The striker has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge so it will be interesting to see how much he is used when returns to the fold.
Fellow forward Radamel Falcao is also sidelined, as he has been for some time now. This leaves Guus Hiddink with only Diego Costa at his disposal for the striking role; hopefully his recent impressive form will carry over.
Eden Hazard, meanwhile, has been ruled out of both the Scunthorpe game as well as Chelsea’s midweek clash with West Brom. The Belgian limped off with a groin issue shortly into the contest with Palace last weekend.
On the other side of affairs, Scunthorpe boss Mark Robins will be without striker Gary McSheffrey. The Englishman has been the Iron’s second highest scorer this season. Regular forward Tom Hopper will also sit out due to injury.
However, Scunthorpe will be boosted by centre-back Murray Wallace, who is available after completing a permanent move to the club. His previous loan spell was well-received by the Iron fans and management.
Stats
The last time that these two sides met was over 10 years ago. The clubs squared off at the exact same stage of the FA Cup with Chelsea coming away as victors at Stamford Bridge. The Blues overcame an early setback to secure a 3-1 win.
Guus Hiddink is undefeated since taking proper charge for the second time. Two draws against Watford and Manchester United were followed by the convincing 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace. With the Sunderland win that came in between the two managers’ tenures, Chelsea are on their longest undefeated streak of the season; a whopping four games.
Scunthorpe, meanwhile, have not lost in their last three although the previous two games have ended in 1-1 draws. Furthermore, the League One club have scored only one goal in four of their last seven fixtures while drawing blanks in two as well.
Next: Three Home Games in Six Days: Time To Kick-Start Chelsea FC’s Season
Prediction
No matter the line-up or circumstance, I can’t see Chelsea dropping this game. A 2-0 victory for the good guys.