Chelsea are still holding out hope that Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho will be fit for next weekend’s FA Cup final after both missed the club’s 1-1 draw with Liverpool at Anfield on Thursday because of injury.
Calum McFarlane said after the game that the pair were dealing with muscle problems and that the club would give them time before making any final call. “Yeah, we’re very hopeful,” he said. “You have to take these things day by day. We’re hoping that they’ll be available, but you don’t know at this moment in time.”
The latest setback came after Neto and Garnacho were also absent when Chelsea lost to Nottingham Forest earlier this week, leaving the side without two attacking options in back-to-back matches. Their possible return would come at an important moment, with the final now only next weekend and Chelsea short on time to assess whether either player can recover fully.
McFarlane said both players are expected to get back into training next week, where the club will judge how they feel and how they look before deciding whether they can be trusted for the final. “They’re going to get back into training [next week], see how they feel, see how it looks. So fingers crossed,” he said.
For Chelsea, the hope is straightforward: if Neto and Garnacho respond well over the next few days, they could yet be available when the season’s biggest match arrives. If not, the club will go into the final still missing two players who have already sat out two straight games.
