Thursday, March 5, 2009

Coventry v Chelsea

FA Cup sixth-round
Venue: Ricoh Arena Date: Saturday, 7 March Kick-off: 1230 GMT
Coverage: Full commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Coventry & Warwickshire 94.8 FM & online (coverage from 1200 GMT); Full commentary on BBC London 94.9 FM, BBC London DAB & online; Score updates and text commentary on BBC Sport website

Coventry's highly-rated left-back Dan Fox is set to miss the game after suffering a knee injury.

Striker Leon Best hopes to recover from a throat infection in time to partner Clinton Morrison, who is expected to shake off a knock.

Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho has shaken off a hamstring problem, and Michael Essien returns after six months out with knee ligament damage.

But Nicolas Anelka (toe) and Paulo Ferreira (knee) are sidelined.


Coventry (from): Westwood, Dann, Turner, Wright, Gunnarsson, Doyle, Henderson, Eastwood, Simpson, Best, Osbourne, Beuzelin, Morrison, Marshall, Ward, Hall, Thornton, Cain.

Chelsea (from): Cech, Hilario, Taylor, Essien, Carvalho, Bosingwa, Alex, Terry, Mancienne, Ivanovic, A Cole, Belletti, Stoch, Lampard, Obi, Ballack, Kalou, Drogba, Malouda, Di Santo.

BIG-MATCH FACTS

Chris Coleman's Coventry City have the onerous task of beating four times winners Chelsea, if they are to reach the semi-finals for the first time since winning the FA Cup in 1987.

The Sky Blues dumped Premier League Blackburn out of the Cup in a fifth round replay, and must now try and emulate fellow Championship side Barnsley, who ended the Londoners interest in this competition at this same stage last year.

Chelsea, who've returned to second spot in the Premier League, seven points behind Manchester United and have a Champions League trip to Juventus on Tuesday, face lower league opposition for the fourth consecutive time in this cup run.

Chelsea are hoping to reach the semi-finals for the 18th time; Coventry for only the second.

The Sky Blues have scored six goals on this cup run, courtesy of five different scorers. Only Leon Best has scored twice. The West Midland club have kept clean sheets in three of their four matches.

Chelsea have netted 11 times in the current cup run, and conceded once in each of the four matches. Nicolas Anelka has four goals including a hat-trick against Watford in the last round. There's been three for Michael Ballack and two a piece for Salomon Kalou and Frank Lampard.


The League ladder

Coventry are 31 places lower than Chelsea in the league standings.

Referee

Steve Bennett (Kent)

Replay date

Wednesday, 18 March - Kick Off: 1945

COVENTRY CITY

Current form

Wednesday's 1-2 home defeat to Sheffield United ended a six-game undefeated sequence of four wins and two draws (all competitions).

Recent FA Cup performance

Playing in the sixth round for the first time in 11 years.

There was nothing to choose between then Premier League Coventry and First Division (second tier) Sheffield United in their last quarter-final in the 1997-98 season. The sides could not be separated after three and half hours, and the Yorkshire club went through 3-1 on penalties, but then lost in the semi-finals to Newcastle.

The Manager

Chris Coleman has faced Chelsea 10 times as a manager and won just once; Fulham prevailing 1-0 at Craven Cottage in the Premier League on 19 March 2006.

Coleman was denied a place in the Fulham team that played Manchester United in the third round of the FA Cup in January 2001. The tie came just days after the Wales international defender broke his leg in a car crash - an injury that effectively ended his playing career.

FA Cup fact

Became the 41st of 42 clubs to have lifted the silverware when beating Tottenham in the 1987 final.

CHELSEA

Current form

Won the last five and three in a row on the road (all competitions).

100% under Guus Hiddink; won four of four.

Recent FA Cup performance

Qualified for the last eight for the fourth season in a row; bidding to reach the semi-finals for the third time in four years.

The Manager

Although Hiddink had arrived at Stamford Bridge, Ray Wilkins oversaw the 1-3 fifth round victory against Watford at Vicarage Road.

Hiddick won Holland's equivalent of the FA Cup, the KNVB Cup, four times as coach of PSV Eindhoven.

FA Cup fact

Last season's quarter-final exit at the hands of Barnsley was their first FA Cup humbling by a lower league club since Millwall defeated them on penalties in 1995.

HEAD to HEAD

All competitions

Chelsea are unbeaten in their last six games against Coventry.

The Londoners won three and drew two of five Premier League matches against them, then knocked the Sky Blues out of the Worthington League Cup, 0-2 in a third round tie at Highfield Road on 9 October 2001 in their most recent clash.

The League Cup loss was Coventry's first defeat in nine home games with Chelsea, but their most recent home victory was 2-1 on 15 August 1998, in the Premier League.

FA Cup

These clubs are meeting for the first time in this competition.

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