Preview: Chelsea vs. Morecambe - prediction, team news, lineups

The wheels person travel disconnected Chelsea's Premier League rubric charge, but the Blues volition question harmless transition into FA Cup circular 4 erstwhile they big Morecambe successful Saturday's third-round showdown.

While Enzo Maresca's troops participate the contention astatine this stage, the Shrimps person already had to navigate clashes with Worthing and Bradford City to gain a time retired astatine Stamford Bridge.

Match preview

© IconSport

Affirming for weeks connected extremity that his Chelsea squad were not contenders for the Premier League title, Maresca's words whitethorn yet beryllium ringing true, adjacent if his erstwhile admissions were elemental caput games alternatively than a genuine content that his players did not person what it takes.

After winning 8 matches successful a enactment crossed each competitions from November 23 to December 19, the Blues person present failed to travel up trumps successful immoderate of their past four, lone accruing 2 points from the past 12 connected connection successful the apical formation during a woeful wintertime patch.

Formerly irrepressible successful attack, Chelsea are present recovered wanting successful the last 3rd and besides person conscionable 2 goals to amusement from their past 360 minutes of football, including the Cole Palmer onslaught astatine Crystal Palace that was cancelled retired by a Jean-Philippe Mateta leveller successful last weekend's 1-1 draw.

That London derby stalemate near the Blues 10 points worse disconnected than leaders Liverpool - who inactive person a crippled successful manus - and astatine hazard of being leapfrogged by Newcastle United and Manchester City successful the Premier League table, wherever an absorbing conflict for the coveted Champions League places is already materialising.

However, fewer volition expect Chelsea's top-flight struggles to construe into a daze FA Cup exit, particularly seeing arsenic the Blues person won 35 of their past 36 matches successful the contention against a lower-division team, the 1 aberration being a 4-2 upset astatine the hands of Bradford City successful 2015.

© Imago

Chelsea's 80% triumph complaint successful third-round ties is besides the champion of immoderate squad to person played astatine slightest 10 games astatine this signifier of the tournament, but minnows Morecambe caput to West London inactive without a azygous fourth-round quality to their name.

The Shrimps person truthful already matched their best-ever effect successful the FA Cup by making it this acold for the 4th clip successful 5 seasons, having comfortably flooded Worthing successful the archetypal circular earlier edging retired Bradford 1-0 successful the 2nd signifier courtesy of a Jordan Slew strike.

That occurrence did not trigger a accordant tally of results for Morecambe, who went winless successful 5 consecutive games instantly aft advancing to the 3rd round, but Adams's men person steadied the vessel somewhat with wins implicit Carlisle United and Tranmere Rovers since Christmas.

The representation inactive looks particularly bleak for the Shrimps, though, arsenic they stay successful the League Two relegation zone - 4 points beneath 22nd-placed Swindon Town with a crippled successful manus - though they person won 14 of their 20 points distant from location this season.

Such a grounds offers a glimmer of anticipation that the latest FA Cup elephantine sidesplitting could beryllium witnessed astatine Stamford Bridge, but Chelsea and Morecambe met astatine the aforesaid signifier of this contention 4 years ago, a lucifer that Frank Lampard's Blues comfortably won 4-0.

Chelsea signifier (all competitions):

Morecambe FA Cup form:

Morecambe signifier (all competitions):

Team News

© Imago

An evident wounded disagreement betwixt Chelsea brace Maresca and Wesley Fofana made headlines earlier this month; the erstwhile claimed that the Frenchman could retired for the remainder of the play with a hamstring problem, but Fofana challenged that assessment and stressed that helium would instrumentality successful the adjacent 4 to six weeks.

Regardless, Fofana is decidedly retired of contention for this lucifer alongside Omari Kellyman (hamstring), Mykhaylo Mudryk (suspended), Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (unspecified) and Benoit Badiashile (thigh), portion Romeo Lavia (thigh) and Carney Chukwuemeka (illness) are some doubtful.

As is the lawsuit successful the Conference League, the hosts volition marque an abundance of changes for the sojourn of the Shrimps, wherever determination is each accidental that ostracised left-back Ben Chilwell could marque his archetypal commencement of the campaign.

Meanwhile, Morecambe brag Adams ought to beryllium moving with the aforesaid radical of players from the caller occurrence implicit Tranmere, including Liverpool loanee Rhys Williams, who has extended his enactment until the extremity of the season.

Fellow defender Adam Lewis - a imperishable acquisition from Anfield successful 2024 - mightiness rejoin the Reds-owned antheral successful the backline, having started the second-round occurrence implicit Bradford earlier David Tutonda got the motion against Tranmere.

Lewis's 5 assists successful each competitions this play is much than immoderate different Morecambe player, portion winger Ben Tollitt is the visitors' main goalscoring menace with 8 strikes to his sanction truthful acold this season.

Chelsea imaginable starting lineup:
Jorgensen; James, Disasi, Adarabioyo, Chilwell; Veiga, Chukwuemeka; Madueke, Nkunku, Felix; Guiu

We say: Chelsea 5-0 Morecambe

Chelsea's aureate interaction successful the Premier League whitethorn person eluded them successful the past mates of weeks, but adjacent Maresca's second-string squad should comfortably teardrop Morecambe to shreds.

ID:562362:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect13218:

Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's regular email of previews and predictions for each large game!