Leicester vs Chelsea LIVE updates: FA Cup score and goals; semi-final draw details

Leicester vs Chelsea: LIVE FA Cup score, goals and semi-final draw detailsGETTY

Leicester vs Chelsea: LIVE FA Cup score, goals and semi-final draw details

LEICESTER 0-1 CHELSEA – MORATA

Leicester welcome Chelsea to the King Power Stadium for today’s FA Cup quarter-final tie.

The FA Cup represents Chelsea’s final trophy chance following their midweek Champions League exit at Barcelona.

Chelsea are also fifth in the Premier League, four points behind fourth-placed Spurs with eight games remaining.

Tottenham and Manchester United have already booked their place in tonight’s semi-final draw that’s scheduled to take place immediately after the conclusion of this clash.

The semi-finals will take place over the weekend of 21-22 April.

Leicester vs Chelsea: LIVE FA Cup score, goals and semi-final draw detailsREUTERS

Leicester vs Chelsea: LIVE FA Cup score, goals and semi-final draw details

LEICESTER 0-1 CHELSEA

HT: Referee Craig Pawson blows for half-time and it’s the visitors who take a slender one-goal advantage in with them. Alvaro Morata showed great composure to finish that off, but tons of credit should go Willian’s way.

45: Alvaro Morata has scored his first goal for Chelsea since December 2017 (vs Brighton), ending a run of 13 games in all competitions without one. First of many I’m sure…

43: Bakayoko is booked on the stroke of half-time for fouling Iheanacho. That might just be the midfielder’s biggest contribution of the half.

LEICESTER 0-1 CHELSEA – MORATA

41: Alvaro Morata gets his goal!

Willian shows an unbelievable burst of speed to dribble the ball into Leicester territory from his own half.

The Brazilian then plays a inch-perfect ball through to the unmarked Morata, who curls it beyond Schmeichel.

Leicester vs Chelsea: LIVE FA Cup score, goals and semi-final draw detailsREUTERS

Leicester vs Chelsea: LIVE FA Cup score, goals and semi-final draw details

39: Willy Caballero channelling his inner Claudio Bravo here. He races off his line, nicks it round Vardy and lays it off to Kante. Heart in mouth moment for Chelsea fans.

Kante then plays a neat pass to Alonso, but doesn’t continue his run into the box.

37: Willian slips Morata through who does excellently to get past Maguire and then scoops his effort into the side-netting from a tight angle. Should he have looked backwards, he would have seen the unmarked Alonso waiting to convert.

34: Like buses these chance for Morata… Willian makes himself a yard and sweeps a cross over to the striker, whose header is off target.

Chelsea starting to boss things in midfield now. Gone up a gear…

31: A sight of goal for Morata after Christensen’s fine crossfield pass and Alonso’s clever cross. The striker fires straight at Schmeichel from 20 yards out. Either side and that would have been the breakthrough.

29: Maguire booked for twice smashing through the back of Morata. That’s a yellow. Chelsea fans wouldn’t mind seeing their Spaniard giving a little bit back.

Leicester vs Chelsea: LIVE FA Cup score, goals and semi-final draw detailsREUTERS

Leicester vs Chelsea: LIVE FA Cup score, goals and semi-final draw details

26: Crunching challenge from Morgan on Morata, who has barely touched the ball today. Azpilicueta looks to play the striker in with a signature ball over the top but it runs all the way through to Schmeichel.

23: Phwoar! Ndidi’s drilled effort from range forces Caballero to save for the first time today. He can hit ‘em.

21: Not seen much of Willian this afternoon either. He’s been electric in recent weeks but can’t seem to get on the ball.

Vardy races away down the left but his cross into the penalty area is too close to Caballero, who collects.

18: I’m still not 100 per cent sure what Bakayoko offers Chelsea. He’s been cheaply giving the ball away and doesn’t offer much in attack.

The two shades of blue kits were a silly choice but maybe I’m being generous to the midfielder with that excuse.

15: Moses is appealing for a penalty when being blocked by Ndidi, but referee Craig Pawson isn’t interested in the slightest.

Leicester vs Chelsea: LIVE FA Cup score, goals and semi-final draw detailsREUTERS

Leicester vs Chelsea: LIVE FA Cup score, goals and semi-final draw details

12: Top marks Danny Simpson, who doggedly wins the ball back from Marcos Alonso before forcing a corner.

Wes Morgan should convert from a few yards but his header flies over the bar while under pressure from Rudiger.

9: Well that was dreadful. Alonso sets Hazard free down the left but a mix-up between the Belgian and Morata sees the striker stray offside. Good chance wasted.

6: Close! Albrighton nearly makes the breakthrough early with a wicked spinning half-volley that whistles past the post.

3: Frantic start at the King Power with Leicester pressing like… something that presses. Chelsea struggling to get their foot on the ball and retain possession in the early stages.

1: We’re off! I’ll find a picture for you later, but trust me that Leicester’s pitch looks incredible with diamond patterns engraved. #Vortex…

16:28: Chelsea boss Antonio Conte: “This game has the same importance as at the start of the season. We have to try to play every competition and fight until the end. Courtois is injured. Caballero has played every game in this competition and played well.”

16:26: Leicester manager Claude Puel: “The most important thing is to play this game and to win today. After that we will see. We need to play at a good level, with quality and fighting spirit.”

Leicester vs Chelsea: LIVE FA Cup score, goals and semi-final draw detailsREUTERS

Leicester vs Chelsea: LIVE FA Cup score, goals and semi-final draw details

LEICESTER vs CHELSEA

16:25: Nearly underway folks. It’s a pivotal game in Chelsea’s season. Defeat, and a top four finish is the best they can achieve this season. OK, maybe third…

Leicester XI: Schmeichel, Simpson, Morgan, Maguire, Chilwell, Ndidi, Iborra, Mahrez, Albrighton, Iheanacho, Vardy.

Subs: Hamer, Fuchs, Dragovic, Silva, Gray, Okazaki, Diabate.

Chelsea XI: Caballero, Azpilicueta, Christensen, Rudiger, Moses, Bakayoko, Kante, Alonso, Willian, Morata, Hazard.

Subs: Eduardo, Cahill, Zappacosta, Emerson, Fabregas, Pedro, Giroud.

VARDY PLAN?

16:20: Antonio Conte is wary of Leicester and Jamie Vardy as Chelsea bid to reach the FA Cup semi-finals, but good defending is his only special plan to stop the England international.

Asked if Chelsea would pay Vardy particular attention, Conte said: “Special plans? Special plans to try to defend well.

“For sure, we all know the characteristics about Vardy. He’s a clever player. He’s very good to attack the space, to find the right time to attack the space.”

Leicester vs Chelsea: LIVE FA Cup score, goals and semi-final draw detailsREUTERS

Leicester vs Chelsea: LIVE FA Cup score, goals and semi-final draw details

COURTOIS INJURY

16:15: So it looks like Thibaut Courtois is injured. We suspected the Belgian was being rested but Antonio Conte has confirmed he’s out with an injury. Willy Caballero starts.

WINNING FEELING

16:10: Chelsea have won 12 of their last 15 matches against Leicester in all competitions (D2 L1), winning 2-1 at the King Power Stadium earlier this season in the Premier League.

TWITTER ROUND-UP

Terry: Imagine if our front three would of been Salah, De Bruyne and Lukaku? They would have been an incredible Chelsea front three. Signed for £37m. Sold for £59m. Would cost at least £300m now.

Ubaid: Alvaro Morata to end his goal drought with a hat-trick against Leicester. You heard it here first.

Elliott: My confidence is very low going into this game. Hopefully Chelsea can come up with a win and a good performance to back it up.

Leicester vs Chelsea: LIVE FA Cup score, goals and semi-final draw detailsREUTERS

Leicester vs Chelsea: LIVE FA Cup score, goals and semi-final draw details

TEAM NEWS – WILLY RETURNS

16:00: Willy Caballero starts in goal and Alvaro Morata is up front as Chelsea make three changes for today’s FA Cup quarter-final at Leicester.

The competition represents Chelsea’s last chance of a trophy this season after their midweek Champions League exit at Barcelona, and Tiemoue Bakayoko comes into midfield as Thibaut Courtois, Cesc Fabregas and Olivier Giroud drop out of the starting XI.

Striker Kelechi Iheanacho and midfielder Marc Albrighton come in for Shinji Okazaki and Demarai Gray for the Foxes, who won 4-1 at West Brom last time out.

LEICESTER vs CHELSEA

15:55: And the line-ups have arrived. You won’t be surprised to hear that most managers have fielded their strongest XI’s.

Leicester XI: Schmeichel, Simpson, Morgan, Maguire, Chilwell, Ndidi, Iborra, Mahrez, Albrighton, Iheanacho, Vardy.

Subs: Hamer, Fuchs, Dragovic, Silva, Gray, Okazaki, Diabate.

Chelsea XI: Caballero, Azpilicueta, Christensen, Rudiger, Moses, Bakayoko, Kante, Alonso, Willian, Morata, Hazard.

Subs: Eduardo, Cahill, Zappacosta, Emerson, Fabregas, Pedro, Giroud.

HAVE YOUR SAY

15:50: If you want to vent your frustrations, or discuss any issues in the world of football (within reason), then get in touch!

You can either comment at the bottom of the page or contact me via Twitter using the hashtag #ExpressSport.

AFTERNOON

15:45: Hello everyone, welcome to our LIVE coverage of the FA Cup quarter-final between Leicester and Chelsea at the King Power Stadium.

We’ve just witnessed the man, myth and legend Mark Hughes inspire Southampton to victory over League One Wigan.

Not many managers lead their team to Wembley in their first game in charge…

Anyway, either Leicester or Chelsea will complete the semi-final line-up today and will be paired against Saints, Manchester United or Tottenham in tonight’s draw.

Team news and line-ups on the way!

LEICESTER vs CHELSEA

Leicester boss Claude Puel is expected to have an unchanged squad for the FA Cup quarter-final clash with Chelsea.

Daniel Amartey will not return from his hamstring injury until after the international break, while Robert Huth continues to work his way back from the ankle problem that has blighted his campaign.

Kelechi Iheanacho will hope to play, while the likes of Aleksander Dragovic, Christian Fuchs, Matty James and Marc Albrighton could also come into contention for recalls.

Antonio Conte is poised to pick his first-choice line-up.

Conte has rotated his options in previous rounds and could yet choose Willy Caballero as goalkeeper after Thibaut Courtois was twice beaten through the legs by Lionel Messi in Wednesday’s loss at Barcelona.

Defender David Luiz (ankle) and midfielder Ross Barkley (hamstring) are out.