Chelsea interim McFarlane confirms Palmer and Joao Pedro could return for FA Cup semi vs Leeds

Chelsea interim boss Calum McFarlane hopes to have Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro available for this weekend’s FA Cup semi-final against Leeds United.

Chelsea face Leeds at Wembley on Sunday with a place in the FA Cup final on offer. The Blues will be under the management of McFarlane, who has been placed in interim charge until the end of the season, following the decision to sack Liam Rosenior this week.

Addressing the media at hispress conference on Friday, McFarlane provided an update on the status of his squad. He confirmed both Palmer and Pedro are in contention to feature, but that teenage winger Estevao Willian will not play again this season. The Brazilian faces a race against time to make this summer’s World Cup.

“Estevao unfortunately won’t play for us this season. He is going to be out for a little bit of time. We’re here to support him.

“Joao [Pedro] and Cole [Palmer], they trained, they’re in a good place. We don’t know yet, we’ll have a look at them and make a call on that. They’re going to train tomorrow, so we are hopeful.”

Chelsea have lost five consecutivePremier League games, without scoring, and have not beaten Leeds in either league fixture this season. Despite that, McFarlane has said that there is belief within the Chelsea camp that the club can reach the FA Cup final.

Asked about his preparations for the clash, he added: “Making sure the lads are prepared for the strengths of Leeds and making sure we’re ready to expose their weaknesses.

“There’s still a lot of belief in this group. I know it has been tough recently but we’ve had some good games this year, good performances against top sides. A lot of talent, there is still a lot of belief in us to turn this around and get back on track.”

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