You wouldn’t go as far as suggesting Chelsea had turned a corner after they edged past rivals Leeds United to reach the 2026 FA Cup final, but interim manager Calum McFarlane had seemingly got a tune out of a group of players that lost interest under Liam Rosenior.
That positivity from Wembley was sapped from the Blues when a heavily-rotated Nottingham Forest team inflicted a sixth-straight Premier League defeat. It was another stark reminder of how swiftly Chelsea, who were embarking on a promising path with Enzo Maresca leading the way, have fallen.
BlueCo’s project has reached a crossroads, no matter if the club adds to a trophy next week.
McFarlane will doubtless have an eye on the domestic cup final when his team make the trip to Merseyside for what isn’t a particularly daunting trip to Anfield. Great Chelsea sides have triumphed away at Liverpool late in the season on their way to Premier League glory, but the current iteration is merely hoping to restore some pride.
Here’s the latest Chelsea team news, including every player they’ll be without this weekend.
Every Chelsea Player Ruled Out vs. Liverpool
Robert Sánchez
- Injury: Head
- Expected Return Date: May 16 (vs. Man City)
While Robert Sánchez came out of his nasty head clash with Morgan Gibbs-White the better of the two, Chelsea’s No. 1 will miss Saturday’s trip to Anfield.
Sánchez was pretty powerless to stop the Blues from falling 3–0 behind to Forest on Monday, and was replaced for the final portion of the contest after the incident with the away side’s talismanic playmaker, who now dons a Harry Potter-like scar.
Filip Jörgensen has recently recovered from an injury setback and will be available to start between the posts on Saturday. McFarlane will hope to have Sánchez back for the Cup final.
Estêvão
- Injury: Hamstring
- Expected Return Date: Unknown
We know that the Brazilian starlet won’t play for Chelsea again until preseason at the earliest, but there are also fears for Estêvão’s World Cup after he suffered a grade four hamstring tear in last month’s defeat to Manchester United.
The youngster has opted against surgery and has decided to undergo rehabilitation in Brazil to keep his fading chances of making Carlo Ancelotti’s squad alive. However, the odds are against the exciting youngster, who may have to wait until 2030 to make his World Cup bow.
Jamie Gittens
- Injury: Hamstring
- Expected Return Date: Unknown
It seemed as if Jamie Gittens was going to make a swifter-than-expected recovery from a hamstring injury during Rosenior’s reign, after suffering a tear of the muscle during January’s 3–2 win over West Ham United.
However, the former Borussia Dortmund star suffered a setback in his recovery when he was readying himself for a return in the FA Cup against Port Vale.
Now, it looks like Gittens will be out for the remainder of the season. There haven’t been many updates since McFarlane reclaimed his managerial post. Fellow wingers Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho are doubts for the upcoming game, having both missed Monday’s defeat.
Jesse Derry
- Injury: Head
- Expected Return Date: Summer
There was an even more concerning incident before Sánchez’s clash with Gibbs-White on Monday afternoon. On the stroke of half-time, teenager Jesse Derry, who was making his first Premier League start, won Chelsea a penalty after he was clattered into by Zach Abbott.
Derry was down and out receiving treatment for almost 10 minutes before being stretchered off. Cole Palmer subsequently missed from the spot as Derry was taken to hospital.
While McFarlane said the “signs are really positive” regarding Derry’s blow to the head, the interim manager confirmed the spritely young wide player will not play again this season.
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