Rare meeting: Chelsea have not played Port Vale at Stamford Bridge since 1928
Chelsea are strong favourites to reach the FA Cup semi-finals as they host Port Vale at Stamford Bridge. The Blues will be expected to make light work of opponents who sit bottom of League One in their first meeting since 1929, ending a slump that has seen them lose four matches in a row across all competitions. Out of the Champions League and with a tough task to reach the Premier League’s top four, this competition could offer salvation during a difficult season.
Chelsea are without Enzo Fernandez, who has been dropped for two games as a result of recent comments that cast doubt on his future at the club. Skipper Reece James is also still sidelined as Liam Rosenior ponders his selection against a Port Vale side who are all but certain to be back in the fourth tier next term, sitting 15 points adrift of safety with eight games left.
It has been a hugely disappointing 150th anniversary campaign for the Valiants, though they are into the FA Cup quarter-finals for the first time in 72 years after stunning Sunderland and will be backed by 6,000 travelling fans. Follow Chelsea vs Port Vale live below!
Chelsea team news
As mentioned, there will be no Enzo Fernandez for Chelsea today or in next week’s home Premier League showdown with title-chasing Manchester City after the vice-captain was handed a club-imposed two-game ban for recent comments made in two separate interviews regarding his future at the club and a desire to live in Madrid that were deemed internally to have “crossed a line” amid transfer links to Real Madrid.
However, Marc Cucurella is available and avoided a club sanction for admitting during the international break that he would find it “difficult” to reject a move to Barcelona as he also questioned the decision to part ways with Liam Rosenior’s managerial predecessor, Enzo Maresca.
Skipper Reece James is still working his way back from his latest hamstring injury, while Trevoh Chalobah and Filip Jorgensen remain out and this game will come too soon for Levi Colwill.
However, wingers Estevao and Jamie Gittens are now both fit and Benoit Badiashile appears to have recovered from an illness.
Mike Egerton/PA Wire
How to watch Chelsea vs Port Vale
TV channel: In the UK, Chelsea vs Port Vale will be televised live free to air on BBC One as well as TNT Sports 1.
Coverage on the BBC starts at 5pm BST, while the TNT broadcast begins at 4.30pm.
Live stream: You can stream the game live and for free on the BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website with a TV licence.
TNT Sports subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the HBO Max app and website, which has taken over from discovery+.
Chelsea vs Port Vale live
Good afternoon and welcome to Standard Sport’s live coverage of Chelsea vs Port Vale on FA Cup quarter-final weekend.
The lowest-ranked team left in the competition, who currently sit rock bottom of League One and are nailed-on for relegation back to the EFL’s basement, face a daunting task as they travel to Stamford Bridge for the first time since 1928 after upsetting the likes of Bristol City and Sunderland en route to a first last-eight berth for 72 years.
But they face a badly wounded Chelsea side who have lost four games in a row across all competitions for the first time since May 2023 and endured a truly miserable international break with players speaking out on their futures - leading to a club-imposed two-game ban for vice-captain Enzo Fernandez.
Can the lowly Valiants take advantage of that crisis and threaten an almighty shock in pursuit of Wembley?
Kick-off in west London, where they will be backed by some 6,000 travelling fans, is at 5:15pm BST, so stay tuned for match build-up, breaking team news and live updates.
We will also have expert insight and analysis from Chelsea correspondent Dom Smith at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea vs Port Vale
Chelsea vs Port Vale