FA Cup final: Reece James, Marc Cucurella, Cole Palmer dilemmas facing Chelsea boss Calum McFarlane ahead of Wembley showpiece

Chelsea's interim caput manager Calum McFarlane has been near with a fig of enactment dilemmas up of Saturday's FA Cup last against Manchester City.

Despite not helping the Blues' quest for European qualification, the 1-1 gully astatine Liverpool yet ended a six-match losing streak successful the Premier League.

McFarlane tin lone beryllium encouraged by the show astatine Anfield, albeit his players apt motivated to gain a spot successful his starting lineup for the upcoming Wembley showpiece.

Providing that helium suffered nary ill-effects from his archetypal elder commencement since July, Levi Colwill has enactment himself successful enactment for a commencement against Pep Guardiola's side.

However, McFarlane faces a fig of hard decisions erstwhile it comes to selecting his archetypal XI versus opponents who look destined to miss retired connected the Premier League title.

Here, Sports Mole assesses 4 enactment dilemmas for McFarlane arsenic helium contemplates however to triumph an improbable FA Cup trophy.

Should Reece James commencement FA Cup final?

After astir 2 months retired of enactment with a hamstring injury, Reece James made a invited instrumentality arsenic a substitute against Liverpool.

The Chelsea skipper seemingly came done 27 minutes, positive added-on time, with nary issues to enactment himself successful contention for a commencement successful the FA Cup final.

However, determination were times erstwhile the 26-year-old, possibly understandably, did not look arsenic lively arsenic helium whitethorn person done if helium was fully-fit.

Playing successful a midfield 3 alongside Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez meant that a deficiency of sharpness was not costly to Chelsea, and the anticipation is that different week of grooming would lone pb to James' fittingness improving anterior to the FA Cup final.

That said, tin McFarlane spend to play idiosyncratic who is not 100% acceptable connected specified a large occasion?

Should Reece James commencement astatine right-back oregon successful cardinal midfield?

If James is deemed acceptable capable to start, McFarlane indispensable past determine whether to usage the England planetary astatine right-back oregon successful cardinal midfield.

McFarlane made a constituent of claiming that helium was pleased with the combinations that Malo Gusto was forming astatine right-back against Liverpool, and the Frenchman yet played the afloat crippled connected Merseyside.

Centre-midfielder Andrey Santos was the subordinate who was replaced, partially owed to his show but besides for James' beingness successful the motor room.

Santos has been fixed minutes successful each 5 of McFarlane's games successful charge, emphasising that helium is well-thought of by the interim boss.

Nevertheless, if James is to beryllium fixed minutes successful this FA Cup final, it makes acold much consciousness to see him successful midfield than exposure him to Jeremy Doku, 1 of English football's signifier players.

That is contempt the question marks that stay implicit Gusto's wide defending and decision-making.

Marc Cucurella to commencement arsenic a left-winger?

With Chelsea having nary wingers disposable for the Liverpool game, it was efficaciously a escaped deed for McFarlane erstwhile it came to utilizing Marc Cucurella arsenic a left-winger.

However, the Spaniard produced his champion show successful a Chelsea garment for immoderate time, adjacent if helium lacks the ruthlessness of a accepted wide attacker.

The determination besides allowed Jorrel Hato, 1 of Chelsea's most-improved players since the crook of the year, to diagnostic astatine left-back, and the operation proved effective.

Even if Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho are declared fit, McFarlane surely has to instrumentality with the aforesaid left-hand-side arsenic the erstwhile fixture.

On the flip side, the antagonistic is that Cucurella has contributed conscionable 1 extremity and 2 assists for Chelsea since the October planetary break.

Cole Palmer oregon Pedro Neto connected the close flank?

If Cucurella is selected successful left-midfield, it efficaciously leaves McFarlane to determine who to commencement retired of Cole Palmer and Neto connected the right.

McFarlane volition not region Enzo Fernandez from his relation arsenic the astir precocious midfielder of a three/the fig 10 relation for a crippled of this magnitude, truthful Palmer volition either diagnostic connected the close oregon the substitutes' bench.

There person been times implicit the past 2 matches erstwhile Chelsea person missed Neto's gait and creativity.

However, McFarlane whitethorn privation to support the Portugal planetary successful reserve, peculiarly erstwhile helium is bidding to shingle disconnected a musculus issue.

Palmer besides produced an encouraging show against Liverpool and deserves to commencement connected the right. That said, helium faces having to enactment successful a beardown antiaircraft displacement against Nico O'Reilly and Doku if Chelsea are to person immoderate accidental of containing the pair.

James could theoretically beryllium utilized arsenic Chelsea's right-sided cardinal midfielder to assistance Gusto and Palmer successful what whitethorn beryllium to beryllium the cardinal country of the pitch.

Predicted Chelsea XI for FA Cup final: Jorgensen; Gusto, Fofana, Colwill, Hato; James, Caicedo; Palmer, Fernandez, Cucurella; Pedro