A new chapter for Chelsea FC unfolds tonight, Saturday, January 10, 2026, as the Blues travel to south-east London to face Championship side Charlton Athletic in the FA Cup Third Round. Kick-off is set for 20:00 GMT.
The match marks the debut of Liam Rosenior as Chelsea head coach. Appointed on a six-year contract following the shock New Year's Day departure of Enzo Maresca, Rosenior—who arrives from sister-club Strasbourg—is tasked with stabilizing a Chelsea side that has tumbled to eighth in the Premier League after a run of just one win in nine games.
Match Details: Kick-off & Official Info
Competition: FA Cup (Third Round)
Date: Saturday, January 10, 2026
Kick-off: 20:00 GMT / 15:00 ET
Venue: The Valley, London
Referee: Chris Kavanagh (VAR: Not in use)
Broadcast: TNT Sports 1 / TNT Sports Ultimate / discovery+ (UK), ESPN+ (US)
The Storyline: Rosenior’s Debut vs. Jones’s Belief
Chelsea: Seeking the "New Manager Bounce"
Chelsea arrives at The Valley in the midst of a dismal run, winless in their last five matches. Rosenior watched from the directors' box as a 10-man Chelsea fell 2–1 to rivals Fulham in midweek. With a massive Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal looming on Tuesday, the 41-year-old manager must balance the need for a debut win with the necessity of rotation.
"This is one of the proudest moments of my life," Rosenior said during his first press conference. For a club that has progressed from 61 of its last 63 FA Cup ties, anything less than a convincing win would be a disastrous start to his tenure.
Charlton: The Giant-Killer Mentality
Nathan Jones’s Charlton Athletic currently sits 19th in the Championship. While they are winless in their last four, recent draws against league-leaders Coventry and Blackburn have shown defensive grit. Jones has never been short of confidence and will look to channel the "magic of the cup" to inflict a nightmare debut on Rosenior. The Addicks haven't beaten Chelsea since 2006, but the electric atmosphere of a night-time derby at The Valley could provide the perfect backdrop for a historic upset.
Team News & Probable Lineups
Chelsea Team News
Suspended: Marc Cucurella is out following his red card against Fulham.
Injury Ward: Levi Colwill and Romeo Lavia remain sidelined. Dario Essugo is a doubt.
Rotation: Rosenior is expected to hand starts to Filip Jørgensen, Andrey Santos (who he coached at Strasbourg), and potentially youth star Shim Mheuka.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Jørgensen; Acheampong, Tosin, Badiashile, Hato; Santos, Caicedo; Estevao, Buonanotte, Gittens; Delap.
Charlton Team News
Absentees: Kayne Ramsay, Matt Godden, and Onel Hernández are all ruled out with fitness issues.
Boost: Reece Burke and Miles Leaburn have been passed fit.
Man to Watch: Charlie Kelman, who has four goals in his last six games, will lead the line.
Predicted XI (3-5-2): Kaminski; Burke, Jones, Bell; Bree, Carey, Coventry, Rankin-Costello, Campbell; Leaburn, Kelman.
Head-to-Head (H2H) & Key Stats
First Meeting in 19 Years: This is the first clash between the two sides since a 1–0 Chelsea win in February 2007.
FA Cup Record: Chelsea has reached the semi-finals in six of the last nine seasons.
The "Lower Tier" Streak: Chelsea has progressed from 59 of their last 61 ties against teams from lower divisions.
Milestone Alert: Chelsea needs five more goals to reach 800 total goals in FA Cup history.
Tactical Analysis: Fresh Ideas vs. Championship Grit
Rosenior is expected to implement a possession-based style similar to the one he utilized at Strasbourg, likely utilizing Andrey Santos and Moises Caicedo to dominate the central areas. The pace of Estevao and Jamie Gittens on the wings will be the primary threat to Charlton’s back three.
Charlton will look to remain compact and frustrate Chelsea, hoping to exploit the nerves of a team in transition. Nathan Jones will prioritize set-pieces and the physicality of Miles Leaburn to unsettle a Chelsea defense that has looked vulnerable in recent weeks.
Match Prediction
While Chelsea is in a state of flux, the individual quality gap remains vast. Rosenior’s arrival should provide enough of a mental lift for the Blues to navigate a hostile Valley atmosphere, even with one eye on the midweek clash with Arsenal.
Final Score Prediction: Charlton 0–2 Chelsea
