Hello and welcome to tonight’s football liveblog.
The big news is that Manchester United DO actually have a fit striker for their clash against Chelsea, contrary to pre-match reports.
Marcus Rashford has recovered sufficiently from illness to lead the line for Jose Mourinho’s side in a starting XI that also contains Matteo Darmian and Ashley Young.
Premier League leaders Chelsea have named a strong starting line-up for the encounter with a spot in the last four of the FA Cup on the line.
That’s two changes for Chelsea by the way, Nemanja Matic and Willian starting in place of Pedro and Cesc Fabregas
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Mourinho’s United were embarrassed when they went to Stamford Bridge earlier this season, getting beaten out the gate in a 4-0 defeat.
Looking at the two line-ups, United’s hectic fixture schedule and the form of both sides, you’d be brave to bet against Chelsea winning this encounter too.
Remember, there are no replays from the quarter-finals onwards this year so we will have a winner tonight, by hook or by crook.
Three teams are already in the semi-finals, in case you’ve been living under a stone.
The winners of tonight’s clash will be joining Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester City in the last four, which will be tasty whatever way you dress it up.
The draw for the final four will take place immediately after tonight’s game, live on BBC One.
Some stats to ponder with kick-off less than 25 minutes away:
The teams are out on the pitch, kick-off is only moments away.
They’re under way at Stamford Bridge
Decent start from Man United, getting forward early on and they’ve earned themselves a corner.
Chance for Rojo but he sends it well over the bar from a good delivery.
United seemed to have started with a front two, Rashford and Mkhitaryan. Not what we were expecting. We’ll see how that unfolds.
The game is also on eir Sport 1 by the way, if BBC isn’t your cup of tea.
Mourinho will be happy with this start you’d imagine. United have been on top early doors. They haven’t created a whole lot of note however.
Mkhitaryan drags an effort just wide after some good running by Rashford. Pogba picked out the young striker with a ball over the top, he lost possession but won it straight back and found his Armenian team-mate.
Mkhitaryan strikes his daisycutter from just outside the area well but it goes about three metres wide of Courtois’ left-hand post.
United have been strong in the tackle so far and look a bit more tuned in for this than their opponents.
Chelsea finally click into gear and Hazard sends on target but De Gea gets down well to push it wide for a corner.
And the Spaniard then produces a wonderful stop to deny Cahill, down low to his right-hand side from the resulting corner.
United under siege all of a sudden. What was that about Chelsea being out of tune?
Yellow card for Ander Herrera after a coming together with the influential Eden Hazard, looked like a body check. Hazard looks a bit rattled but should be fine to continue.
Hazard and De Gea have been the two most prominent players on the pitch over the last five minutes or so. Says a lot about the way this game has turned.
Matic fires from way out, and misses the target by nearly as much distance.
United are looking to get physical at any opportunity but they’re clearly lacking the quality on the ball that Chelsea, and particularly Hazard, are showing.
Rashford crosses from a dangerous position but he puts it far too close to Courtois.
It’s been a quiet spell for any chances of note. Both teams cancelling each other out well at the moment.
Phil Jones is in trouble with Michael Oliver after bundling Eden Hazard over. Just a warning for now.
RED CARD — Seconds later Herrera is shown a second yellow for a tackle on Hazard. Looked a foul too and a silly one to make when on a yellow.
Hazard certainly made the most of it but it was a foul.
Mourinho changes things up straight away and brings on Fellaini for Mkhitaryan. This could kill the game a bit.
You’d imagine Manchester United would be happy to get into the sheds with things still at 0-0. Six minutes plus stoppages remaining in the first half.
Conte and Mourinho having a heated exchange on the touchline. Yes please.
There will be two minutes of additional time in the first half.
HT: Chelsea 0 Manchester United 0
No shortage of talking points from that, even if the on-field action has been lacking fluency. Hererra’s red card, spectacular De Gea, mercurial Hazard and a touchline spat between Conte and Mourinho.
Plenty of drama still to come in the second half. Remember, we will have a winner tonight.
The second half is now under way
Chelsea, and particularly Kante and Hazard, have been dominating proceedings early in the second period.
Chelsea 1 Man United 0 (Kante ’51)
United sitting off Kante and the diminutive France international punishes them by finding the corner from about 25 yards with an excellent strike.
Chelsea have one foot in the semis now.
The moment N’Golo Kante broke the deadlock:
GREAT SAVE by Courtois. The ball breaks for Rashford down the left after a Luiz error. Rashford runs Cahill ragged to engineer a one-on-one but the big Belgian deflects his effort wide for a corner, which Chelsea deal with comfortably.
Costa goes narrowly wide with a header from a corner. He was all on his own about eight yards out and should have done better. Somehow, he’s managed to head the ball on to his shoulder. A let-off for the visitors.
WILLIAN goes close from range, curling just over the bar.
Costa and Rojo are also having a right old battle which has seen the striker end up on the ground on a couple of occasions. I suspect we haven’t seen the last of this one.
Just as I typed Rojo dives in on Costa in the penalty area but Michael Oliver waves play on. Looked like the right call too. Just.
Costa’s theatrics are getting embarrassing, as in Razzie bad.
Twenty minutes to go
SAVED — Willian fires at De Gea’s near post but the United goalkeeper does well to deflect the effort away.
Chelsea go close. Willian glides past Rojo and puts a lovely ball across goal, but it eludes all of his team-mates and United stay within touching distance.
A booking for Ashley Young for a foul on Moses. United getting frustrated.
Willian is being replaced by Fabregas.
Ashley Young makes way for Jesse Lingard.
Chance for Pogba in a rare spell in opposition territory but he fluffs his lines and drags his left-footed effort from outside the box well wide of the post.
FA Cup holders Man United are running out of time here.
Four minutes of injury time to be played.
FT: Chelsea 1 Manchester United 0
Thanks for joining us for tonight’s game. We’ll have details of the semi-final draw shortly.
