Chelsea v Plymouth: Five players to watch out for in the FA Cup fourth round

Chelsea take on Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup fourth round this lunchtime, with the Londoners looking to avoid being the victim of a giant killing.

While the Pilgrims aim to cause one of the biggest upsets in the history of the competition.

After watching Manchester United exit the competition last night, and after Arsenal’s third-round defeat to Nottingham Forest, Thomas Tuchel won’t want to be the next big name to go out before the FA Cup gets to the nitty-gritty.

Especially as Chelsea have form for exiting the FA Cup at this stage of the world’s oldest football competition.

Bradford City, who were also in League One at the time, famously came from behind after being two goals down to win 4-2 at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea currently have a packed schedule so Thomas Tuchel may rotate to give those knocking on the first-team door a chance to prove themselves.

Squad depth will be key for the Chelsea manager, especially as the Blues play in the Club World Cup semi-final this Wednesday.

Chelsea also have the Carabao Cup Final final and the Champions League to worry about, as well as catching Manchester City and Liverpool in the Premier League.

So today, Tuchel will likely call upon those knocking on the door, and ask them to step up and prove a point.

Argyle, who currently sit just outside the play-offs in League One, are likely to play their strongest team

Although they are the unfavoured underdogs, a good performance against the European champions could give them a boost to carry them into the play-offs and push for promotion to the Championship.

But here are five players looking to impress this lunchtime.

Saul Niguez

Saul Niguez hasn’t exactly set the world alight with his loan spell with Chelsea so far.

The Spanish midfielder hasn’t yet got used to the pace of the game in England, and looks to have struggled with the physicality.

But recently, he has looked more comfortable, and an impressive performance today in the cup could help make his loan move a permanent one.

Harvey Vale

The 18-year-old could start today, and fill the gap of Chelsea’s regular first-team forwards.

The youngster has scored eight times in all competitions for the Chelsea U23 team, and will cause problems for the Pilgrims defence should he feature.

Lewis Hall

The young prospect deservedly won man of the match in Chelsea’s 5-1 win over non-league Chesterfield.

At 17 years and 122 days old, he became the youngest player to start an FA Cup game for Chelsea.

He has the ability to be a nuisance in attack, having created two chances in the last round, before grabbing himself an assist, setting up Romelu Lukaku.

Jordan Houghton

The former Chelsea youth captain heads back to his old stomping ground with a point to prove.

Houghton spent his youth career with Chelsea but never made a first-team appearance, so he will be keen to put out a strong performance this afternoon.

Houghton has been strong in midfield this year, and will be key for Plymouth today.

Dan Scarr

To combat the physicality of the Chelsea attack, with in the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Scarr is the perfect player for Plymouth.

The defender is well known for his strength and physical attributes and can frustrate Chelsea if he is on top of his game.