Chelsea captain Terry out of Man City cup game with injury

Manuel Pellegrini faces what could be his last FA Cup tie as Manchester City manager this afternoon claiming that the Football Association is damaging its own competition and that his team’s visit to Chelsea is not a “real game”.

Earlier this week, sources told ESPN FC that top clubs were working with the FA to consider abolishing weekend FA Cup games, replays and two-legged Capital One Cup semifinals.

Chelsea have reached this stage of the competition for the 16th time in the past 18 seasons. The club wrote to the FA to complain but the outcome of that protest is unknown and Pellegrini appears to be standing by his plan to play youngsters.

Pellegrini said: “We didn’t expect to lose those two games in a row against Tottenham and Leicester, (although) they are fighting for the title”.

The wonder is whether they’ll have the same view if, like Chelsea, they go through four successive FA Youth Cup winning teams without a senior player. “After that we must try to play a good game in the 180 minutes of the Champions League”.

The list includes the likes of Eliaquim Mangala, Samir Nasri, Kevin De Bruyne and Wilfried Bony – all being out with injury.

Goalkeeper Joe Hart will step down for Willy Caballero, as in all domestic cup matches this season, while Vincent Kompany, Yaya Toure, David Silva and Sergio Aguero are also among those likely to sit out.

Pellegrini, who will be replaced by Pep Guardiola in the summer, said: “We have had a very hard FA Cup this season against Premier League teams, both of them away and we won both games 3-0 and 4-0”. They are all important but we must prioritise the Champions League.

Yet Hiddink has spoken to Hazard on several occasions in a bid to help him rediscover the form that made him the 2015 PFA (England’s Professional Footballers’ Association) Player of the Year.

He said: “Something is not correct in that cup”. It will be interesting to see if Chelsea can take advantage of that and progress onto the next stage of the FA Cup.

“If you see Man City playing you’ll know they have players who like to play the short game which is very threatening”.

Palace manager Pardew agrees.

“Hypothetically, if (City play a younger side) they will go to 120 per cent effort so it does not always work in your favour”.

Pellegrini laughed when asked for his opinion on potential changes. Another player you have to pinch a bit.

For the last decade, Chelsea’s target has been to bring one academy player into the first team every two years.

The Dutchman added: “It was in the hotel when we were having dinner on the eve of the final”.