Chelsea vs Tottenham: Changes Expected After Wembley Defeat
Chelsea face Tottenham on Tuesday night with legs still heavy and minds still replaying Wembley. The FA Cup final slipped away against Manchester City, a 1-0 defeat that left interim head coach Calum McFarlane with bruised momentum and barely any time to reset before Spurs arrive at Stamford Bridge.
He has little choice now but to shuffle the pack.
Changes coming after Wembley blow
The schedule is unforgiving. Two league games remain, starting with a London derby under the lights, and McFarlane knows he cannot run the same players into the ground after Saturday’s exertions.
Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho at least offered one positive note at Wembley. Both returned from minor training knocks to feature in the final and came through unscathed. They are available again and give Chelsea some badly needed thrust in the wide areas, especially if McFarlane opts for a more front-foot approach at home.
The bigger dilemma sits at the heart of the defence. Levi Colwill has only just emerged from a serious injury that wiped out almost the entire season for him. McFarlane made it clear on Monday that Chelsea “must be careful” with the young centre-back, and that warning felt pointed. Colwill is unlikely to be risked from the start, with a place on the bench more realistic as the interim boss looks to protect him from overload in the final week.
That opens the door for rotation and, potentially, a different shape.
Back three or back to basics?
Since stepping in, McFarlane has flirted with a back three, trying to tighten a side that has wobbled too often without the ball. Against Spurs, the temptation to stay compact will be strong, but there is another path: a return to the 4-2-3-1 that both Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior trusted during their spells in charge.
The predicted line-up suggests that reset is coming. A 4-2-3-1, with Robert Sanchez in goal, Reece James and Marc Cucurella at full-back, and Wesley Fofana alongside Trevoh Chalobah in central defence, would give Chelsea familiar reference points and more natural width.
Sanchez, who came back into the side for the final wearing a Petr Cech-style skull-cap, is expected to be ready to go again. His presence offers some continuity amid the tactical tweaks.
In midfield, Andrey Santos and Moises Caicedo are tipped to anchor the double pivot, tasked with screening the back four and feeding an attacking band that carries both creativity and pace: Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandez and Pedro Neto behind Joao Pedro as the central striker. It is a line-up built to control the ball and punish space if Spurs over-commit.
Injury concerns and selection calls
Not everyone is certain to make it. Romeo Lavia suffered a knock on the eve of the FA Cup final and did not even make the squad at Wembley. His involvement against Tottenham is in doubt, a frustrating setback for a player who has struggled to build rhythm all season.
Elsewhere, McFarlane has been clear that some recent absences are about judgement, not fitness. Benoit Badiashile and Mamadou Sarr have both missed out in recent weeks, but the interim head coach has framed those omissions as selection decisions rather than medical issues. With two games left – Spurs at home, Sunderland to come – he has hinted that either could be handed minutes before the campaign closes.
Chelsea’s injury list still includes Estevao, Gittens and Derry, limiting options in certain areas and putting more pressure on those who are fit to navigate this final stretch.
Predicted Chelsea XI vs Tottenham (4-2-3-1)
Sanchez; James, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; Santos, Caicedo; Palmer, Fernandez, Neto; Joao Pedro.
Kick-off is at 8:15pm BST on Tuesday May 19, 2026, at Stamford Bridge. A season that has lurched and stuttered now funnels into one sharp question: can McFarlane’s reshaped side find a late surge against their fiercest rivals, or will Wembley’s disappointment bleed into the final act?
