TEAM NEWS
Middlesbrough welcome back striker Andraz Sporar and midfielder James Lea Siliki, both of whom have been missing recently through illness.
This game comes too soon for Riley McGree, while Martin Payero, Darnell Fisher and Sammy Ameobi remain out.
Andreas Christensen is a major doubt for Chelsea after being forced off injured in Wednesday’s win in Lille.
They may also be without Reece James, who has a muscle problem, and Callum Hudson-Odoi with an inflamed Achilles.
Head coach Thomas Tuchel said on Friday that the trio were not yet in full training, adding “it will be a tight race but maybe too close”.
LAWRO’S PREDICTION
Chelsea’s results have not been affected by everything that has happened to the club in the past couple of weeks and Blues boss Thomas Tuchel deserves huge credit for that – he has handled everything very well given the situation.
Even so, I’m not sure things are quite as dramatic as some reports in the media are making out – the Chelsea team have been allowed to fly north for this tie but at first their travel expenses were being capped and I was reading how they faced a “gruelling” five-hour bus trip, which is ridiculous. Have you seen the luxury coaches they travel on?
It is hardly the same sort of crisis that Middlesbrough faced in the mid-1980s when the gates of their old Ayresome Park ground were locked because of their mounting debts – that really is desperate stuff – but it has brought a reaction from the Chelsea players, and it is circle the wagons time for them.
That’s why I fancy Tuchel’s team to get through this tie, although it won’t be easy.
Middlesbrough have had a brilliant time in the FA Cup so far, beating Manchester United and then Tottenham – but their run ends here.
Prediction: 1-2
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- Middlesbrough’s last victory against Chelsea was a 2-1 home win on 23 August 2006. Andriy Shevchenko scored his first Premier League goal in that match, but Boro hit back through late strikes from Emanuel Pogatetz and Mark Viduka.
- The Teessiders won the first FA Cup tie between the sides, recording a 2-1 victory at Ayresome Park in the third round in 1993.
- Chelsea have won the subsequent three encounters in the competition – a 2-0 triumph in the 1997 final, a 1-0 victory at Stamford Bridge in round three in 2003 and a 2-0 win at Riverside Stadium in the fifth round in 2013.
Middlesbrough
- Middlesbrough have won nine consecutive home games since a 2-1 defeat by Preston on 23 November.
- Boro are vying to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2006, when they beat Charlton 4-2 at home in the quarter-finals.
- They have lost their subsequent four matches at this stage (in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2017), with their last such tie ending in a 2-0 home defeat by Manchester City five years ago.
- Having eliminated Manchester United and Tottenham, Middlesbrough can become the first side outside the top flight to beat three Premier League teams in a single FA Cup campaign since Wigan in 2017-18.
- The Teessiders are winless in all 20 of their previous matches against reigning European champions (D7, L13). Their last such fixture was the home defeat by Chelsea in the FA Cup fifth round in 2013.
Chelsea
- Chelsea have won 11 of their past 12 matches in all competitions, with the exception the EFL Cup final against Liverpool.
- They have reached the FA Cup quarter-finals for the 16th time in 22 seasons – more than any other side in this period.
- The Londoners have lost just three of their 15 quarter-finals this century.
- Romelu Lukaku has scored 15 FA Cup goals since his first appearance in 2012. The only players with better records since then are Harry Kane and Olivier Giroud, with 16 goals each, and Sergio Aguero with 20.
