Chelsea could be forced into another tactical reshuffle ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup final against Manchester City.
A new report from The Athletic claims there are currently no guarantees that either Alejandro Garnacho or Pedro Neto will be fit enough to feature at Wembley despite earlier hopes they would be.
Both players are currently dealing with muscle problems and have missed Chelsea’s last two matches.
Neither player has been in particularly good form recently, but their potential absence would still create an interesting selection dilemma for Calum McFarlane.
Neto is direct in transition, while Garnacho’s willingness to constantly attack the space behind defenders gives the Blues something few others in the squad provide. Even when their performances have frustrated at times, both players still offer something slightly different.
And that could force Chelsea into revisiting a tactical tweak which worked brilliantly against Liverpool last weekend.
Marc Cucurella may be handed another advanced role
Marc Cucurella was arguably Chelsea’s best player against Liverpool after being deployed further forward at left wing-back. He produced an energetic and surprisingly complete performance that earned him the Man of the Match award.
The Spaniard caused problems consistently down the left-hand side. He provided Chelsea with a level of intensity that had largely been missing in recent weeks.
At the time, it felt like a tactical adjustment tailored specifically for Liverpool’s weaknesses. Now though, Chelsea may have genuine reason to replicate it.
If Garnacho and Neto are unavailable, there is a strong possibility Cucurella could once again be put into a more advanced role in order to provide natural width.
That may not have been something many supporters expected to say earlier this season, particularly given the criticism the full-back has faced since arriving at Stamford Bridge, but his recent performances have changed those perceptions.
Chelsea may need a different type of performance against Manchester City
The reality is that Chelsea are never likely to go toe-to-toe with City in terms of possession.
Sunday’s final will likely to depend more on discipline, structure and the Blues taking their chances when they appear. That probably explains why the possible absence of Garnacho and Neto feels more interesting than outright disastrous.
Neither player has consistently delivered this season. Without them, there is a chance Chelsea lean into a more combative and structurally compact setup instead, and that could suit someone like Cucurella.
And after the way he performed against Liverpool, Chelsea may now feel surprisingly comfortable asking him to take on that responsibility again on the biggest stage.
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