Middlesbrough vs Chelsea: Preview, Team News and Possible Line Ups Ahead of FA Cup Clash

• Middlesbrough vs Chelsea will see the Blues push to continue with their fine run of results despite their off-field challenges
• However, they must be wary of a Middlesbrough side who eliminated rivals Man United from the competition
• The Championship side are yet to taste victory against the Blues in eight attempts, with their last coming back in 2006

Chelsea could miss the services of three key players as they prepare to take on Middlesbrough in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

The Blues are scheduled to travel to Riverside Stadium on Saturday evening, March 19, where a place in the semi-final of the domestic clash will be at stake.

The tie comes at a time the reigning European champions have had to contend with an off-field crisis occasioned by the recent sanctioning of the embattled club owner, Roman Abramovich.

Fortunately for Chelsea, they have managed to put those woes behind them to continue with their fine run of results.

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Match preview

Middlesbrough earned a tough tie with Chelsea in the last eight of the FA Cup after seeing off Man United in the previous round at Old Trafford.

They will now be looking to pin down another top Premier League club as they continue with their dream campaign in the competition.

Chelsea, meanwhile, have managed to defy their ongoing crisis, managing to book a place in the last eight of the Champions League recently.

Buoyed by that latest milestone, they will be desperate to take another step towards winning silverware when they battle the Championship outfit.

Team news

Middlesbrough recently welcomed the return of Anfernee Dijksteel to the squad, while Andraz Sporar and James Lea Siliki are expected to make a return from illnesses.

However, Riley McGree and Martin Payero are still sidelined, meaning Boro boss Chris Wilder could settle for his preferred 3-5-2 formation.

In the Chelsea camp, Andreas Christensen is highly unlikely to be risked for the quarter-final after he picked a muscular injury against Lille.

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Ben Chilwell is still on his long road to recovery, while late calls will have to be made on the involvement of Reece James and Callum Hudson-Odoi.

Predicted line ups

Middlesbrough:

Lumley; Dijksteel, Fry, McNair; Jones, Tavernier, Howson, Crooks, Taylor; Balogun, Connolly

Chelsea:

Kepa; Chalobah, Rudiger, Sarr; Ziyech, Jorginho, Kovacic, Alonso; Mount, Werner; Lukaku

Chelsea backed to beat Real Madrid

Earlier, Sports Brief reported former Chelsea star Joe Cole has backed the club to see off Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

The European heavyweights were pitted against each other following a draw that was conducted on Friday, March 18.

The two teams faced off last season in the semis of the competition, with Chelsea emerging victors and went on to win the title.