McFarlane delivers early Chelsea news ahead of FA Cup final against Man City
Chelsea interim manager Calum McFarlane has revealed that Levi Colwill and Reece James could both be available for the Blues when they take on Manchester City F.C. in the FA Cup final on Saturday, May 16, 2026, after impressing in training during the week. On Friday, May 15, 2026, McFarlane also shared encouraging updates regarding the condition of Alejandro Garnacho, Pedro Neto, and Robert Sanchez.
Wembley return
The Blues are set to return to Wembley on Saturday for one of the biggest fixtures in English football. Chelsea have previously claimed the FA Cup title eight times, with their most recent success arriving in 2018.
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This will mark the first-ever FA Cup final meeting between Chelsea and Manchester City, offering the London side a chance to salvage a difficult campaign by securing silverware.
McFarlane, who guided Chelsea past Leeds United in the semi-finals, is preparing to lead the side at Wembley under the famous arch. The interim manager has supervised sessions at Cobham throughout the week and delivered updates concerning the fitness of five first-team players.
During his pre-match media briefing, McFarlane confirmed that Colwill, recently back from a knee ligament setback, and James, who returned against Liverpool following a hamstring injury, have both looked sharp in training ahead of the showdown.
Speaking about James, he explained: “He’s trained well this week; we’re happy with Reece. It was good to get him minutes [against Liverpool] and I felt he played well when he came on. So, it’s largely positive around Reece. In the lead-up to the Liverpool game, we were confident he was able to play those minutes and he came through them well. He’s trained well this week and we’re really hopeful he can finish the season in that sort of form,” McFarlan noted.
James made his comeback appearance against Liverpool after recovering from a hamstring problem.
Colwill, meanwhile, featured from the start in Chelsea’s 1-1 draw at Anfield, marking his first start since last summer’s Club World Cup final.
The 23-year-old defender impressed during the encounter, and McFarlane admitted he could again play a role at Wembley against City.
More team news
He said: “Levi’s had a really good rehab and, before he played his first game back for us against Nottingham Forest, he played for the Under-21s on two or three occasions. So, it’s been a really good training week for Levi and he was exceptional against Liverpool. That speaks a lot about him, being able to produce that sort of performance after that time out, and at a really difficult place. He has trained well this week, and we’re looking forward to potentially having him on Saturday as well,” he said.
McFarlane also addressed the situations involving Garnacho and Neto, both of whom have missed Chelsea’s last two Premier League fixtures.
He stated: ”Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho have trained well this week, so both looking really good. We’re really hopeful with them as well. So, positive signs.” He stated.
Goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, who had been unavailable after suffering a head injury against Nottingham Forest earlier this month, has also resumed training and may be included for Saturday’s final.
When questioned about Sanchez, McFarlane replied: “Really positive. He has trained well this week and we’re hopeful going into Saturday.” Calum McFarlane explained.
