Chelsea’s FA Cup tie could be final appearance before loans for Batshuayi, RLC

Chelsea’s FA Cup tie against Brentford will be a rare starting XI opportunity for many fringe players. It may also be the last appearance in Blue for some of them before going out on a mid-season loan.

Michy Batshuayi, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Asmir Begovic are part of Antonio Conte’s domestic cup squad. The trio sees little if any Premier League playing time. That may change, though, after this weekend. Based on their performance in Chelsea’s FA Cup tie against Brentford, they may start earning significant Premier League minutes – just not at Chelsea.

The Telegraph reports that Chelsea may be waiting until the very end of the transfer window before loaning these three. Particularly if – somehow – Chelsea lose to Brentford, the group would certainly go on loan as their main source of playing time would vanish.

Asmir Begovic is the least likely of the three to leave Stamford Bridge in the coming week. The club would not allow him to leave – temporarily or permanently – without bringing in an equally capable backup goalkeeper. As entertaining as those thinly-sourced (if at all) Joe Hart rumours were, Chelsea have not been linked with any goalkeepers. Signing a keeper of Begovic’s caliber would truly come out of the blue (er, Blue).

Bournemouth and Chelsea supposedly discussed a Begovic loan earlier this month. This may have been Chelsea feeling a mite guilty about recalling Nathan Ake, who had become a key part of Eddie Howe’s squad. Bournemouth are also interested in John Terry, but neither appear likely to be a temp Cherry.

Batshuayi, Loftus-Cheek and Musonda will continue to receive very few Premier League minutes as Chelsea makes their final charge for the title. Antonio Conte has repeatedly insisted that he wants Batshuayi in the club for the full season, but has done little to show why.

The Telegraph notes that Charly Musonda is in the same boat as Batshuayi, Loftus-Cheek and Begovic. However, if Antonio Conte plays Musonda against Peterborough it will preclude a second-half loan. Musonda spent the first half of the season at Real Betis. An appearance for Chelsea would put him at the two-club limit.

Musonda, like Kenedy, returned in early January. Neither player saw significant playing time at their loan clubs. It would be unusual, to say the least, to recall them on those grounds but then keep them at Chelsea where they will go right back to the bench.

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Of the two, Kenedy is most likely to stay for the remainder of the season. He made four starts for Chelsea in 2015/16, and could more readily slide into Antonio Conte’s tactics. Given that, he may restart his Chelsea career against Peterborough this weekend.