3 min: The ball is shepherded back to Kieren Westwood, back in the team now that Jos Luhukay has left. The Irishmen is one of the best keepers in the EFL.
1 min: Some good voice from the Sheff Wed contingent as Adam Reach, after some good pressing, gets a shot on goal. The ball took a slight deflection, such that Caballero had little problem in the Chelsea goal.
Gianfranco Zola speaks in the absence of Sarri, on the subject of Gonzalo Higuaín.
You can see his ability and his desire to do well, we are looking forward to seeing that from him today. We want to see how he can integrate, we are expecting him to fit the system well.
On (Hudson-Odoi): I believe there is something, he has been training well. He deserves to play, and let’s see how it goes. For us he is an important player. He is playing and has been on the bench. Let’s see if we can come together with something.
The fifth round draw will be made tomorrow night, ahead of Barnet’s game with Brentford, where this chap will almost certainly be present, barring an apocalypse.
After booking their place at Wembley in the Carabao the other night, this FA looks an open run for Chelsea, if they can beat the Owls. No Arsenal, Liverpool and, it seems, no Spurs. Which leaves just the Manchester giants. And should two of those clubs pull each other, then it’s a free-ish ride to the final.
Sheffield Wednesday have made two changes. Young defender Jordan Thorniley comes into the defence, with Michael Hector ineligible to face the parent club he has never played a game before in three and a half years of their ownership of him. Marco Matias has been dropped in favour of Joey Pelupessy bolstering the midfield.
Aside from Higuaín, that is an underpowered Chelsea XI, with eight changes from Thursday night’s League Cup semi with Spurs. Ruben Loftus-Cheek only on the bench, though, as he is recovering from injury. A trio of Ampadu, Barkley and Kovacic will man the midfield.
Louise Taylor got the lowdown on life at Hillsborough from caretaker boss Steve Agnew. Steve Bruce was in the West Indies, for reasons Agnew explains.
In analogue fashion, here’s the teams once more:
Chelsea: Caballero, Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Christensen, Alonso, Ampadu, Barkley, Kovacic, Willian, Hudson-Odoi, Higuain
Sheffield Wednesday: Westwood, Palmer, Lees, Thorniley, Fox, Hutchinson, Bannan, Pelupessy, Reach, Boyd, Fletcher
That’s Callum Hudson-Odoi starting despite that transfer request, and Higuain starting too. Be interesting to compare him to Steven Fletcher today….
Preamble
There was a time, not so long ago, that Chelsea and Sheffield Wednesday were running mates, and there used to be quite something of a rivalry between the two clubs. They didn’t used to like each other very much at all.
The pair came up from the old Second Division at the end of the 1983-4 season, and by the start of the Premier League era, Sheff Wed were looking down at Chelsea, among the poorer relations of the whole new ball game of the time. Later, while Chelsea had Gianfranco Zola and Gianluca Vialli, Wednesday had Benito Carbone and Paolo di Canio. But the start of the century is where the paths diverged. The Owls were relegated at the end of the 1999-2000 season, never to return since, and Chelsea were soon enough the richest club around.
When Antonio Conte was binned, in could come Mauricio Sarri, the brightest coach in Serie A. When Wednesday fired Jos Luhukay, they turned to Steve Bruce, though Brucie hasn’t actually turned up yet, as he has been watching England getting thumped in the West Indies. He is due to start work on February 1, just as the transfer window closes. Good thing too, as his new club don’t have a brass tanner to spend. Steve Agnew continues as caretaker; last time he was at Stamford Bridge was on the occasion of Middlesbrough’s relegation at the end of the 2016-17 season.
Chelsea, meanwhile, have Gonzalo Higuain on loan and this week reached the League Cup final. Time and football are such cruel mistresses.
Updated