Chelsea captain Reece James and defender Levi Colwill have both been passed fit for Saturday’s FA Cup final clash against Manchester City at Wembley.
James made a successful return from the bench during the recent meeting with Liverpool, while Colwill—who has spent the majority of the season sidelined with an ACL injury—also came through the trip to Anfield unscathed.
Interim head coach Calum McFarlane confirmed the pair have trained all week and are ready to feature in the showpiece event.
“I’ve trained well this week and I’m happy with Reece,” McFarlane said at his pre-match press conference.
“We were confident he was able to play those minutes against Liverpool and he’s trained well since. We’re really hopeful we can finish the season in that sort of form.
“Levi was exceptional at Anfield. It’s tricky coming back from an ACL, but he’s had a really good rehab and played a few games for the under-21s to get ready. We’re looking forward to potentially having him on Saturday.”
The Blues’ injury list is clearing at the right time for the London side, with wingers Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho also back in full training and available for selection.
Goalkeeper Robert Sanchez has also returned to fitness, leaving McFarlane with a selection headache between the Spaniard and Djordje Petrovic, who has deputised in goal recently.
Chelsea head into the final looking to salvage a difficult season, and despite a poor recent record against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, McFarlane insists his squad remains optimistic.
McFarlane added: “The players have the belief they can beat anyone. We know we have to be the best version of ourselves. City are an exceptional side, but we have some really good players who have shown they can beat anyone when they are at their best.”