Calum McFarlane told reporters on Friday that Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer trained and could be available for Chelsea’s FA Cup semi-final against Leeds United at Wembley on Sunday, April 26, while confirming that Estevao Willian will miss the rest of the season through injury.
The interim head coach spoke at Cobham less than 48 hours before kickoff — scheduled for 15.00 BST (10am EDT, 7:30pm IST) — and said both attackers had taken part in Friday’s session and were “in a good place,” though he added the club would assess them again on Saturday before deciding if either can feature.
McFarlane also delivered the blunt team news every Chelsea supporter had feared: Estevao will not play again this season. He framed that loss as an unavoidable medical reality rather than a tactical choice, saying the club had to be careful with any late returns and that it was important to give players time to recover.
The significance of those personnel updates is coloured by form. Leeds arrive unbeaten in seven matches in all competitions; Chelsea, by contrast, have lost seven of their last eight and have not scored since Enzo Fernández’s equalizer in Paris 45 days ago. Those numbers — seven wins or draws for Leeds, seven defeats in eight for Chelsea, and a 45-day scoring drought — turn what might otherwise be a personnel story into a match with serious competitive stakes.
McFarlane was appointed interim head coach in the week before the semi-final following the departure of Liam Rosenior. He has taken charge for the remainder of the campaign and has limited time to steady a squad that has struggled to find the net and to generate confidence. He said the dressing room had not held a “clear-the-air” meeting and that the immediate focus remained the game plan for Sunday rather than internal drama.
The tension is obvious: Chelsea could welcome back two attacking options — the very players a team in need of goals would want — at the same time as the club’s results suggest deeper problems. Training on a Friday gives hope, but the check on Saturday and the match itself will reveal whether those returns are enough to break a run of poor form and a long scoreless spell.
For Leeds, the semi-final presents an opportunity to capitalise on momentum. Their unbeaten streak across seven matches has steadied the club and will make them confident in a single-match knockout at Wembley. For Chelsea, the fixture is less about pedigree and more about whether the squad can reset under McFarlane’s short-term stewardship and find a way to score when it matters most.
There is history between the clubs at Wembley: Chelsea’s first FA Cup triumph came against Leeds in 1970, a fact that will not be lost on older supporters but that does little to alter the immediate calculus. The match on Sunday will be decided by current form and fitness, not nostalgia.
McFarlane’s assessment was pragmatic: the two forwards had trained, they were in a good place, and the staff would use the final practice to make a call. He also stressed caution about rushing players back, saying it was important to give them time. That is a defensible medical stance — and also a managerial dilemma with a semi-final on the line.
The clearest conclusion is this: even if Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer are available, Chelsea face a steep short-term test. The club’s recent run, the persistent inability to score for 45 days and an interim coach working under immediate pressure mean the Wembley tie will expose whether those returns change the narrative or merely postpone a reckoning for a side that has been struggling all month.
