'Absolutely bad news': Thomas Tuchel confirms Chelsea injury blow

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has said that Mateo Kovacic is unlikely to make the FA Cup final against Liverpool this weekend.

The Croatian picked up an ankle injury against Leeds United last night following a reckless challenge from Daniel James.

Speaking after the 3-0 win, Tuchel said that Kovacic has a swollen ankle and ruled out his chances of facing Liverpool on Saturday.

He said: "It was almost impossible so he came off and he has a swollen ankle and is in a lot of pain. We need to wait for the examination but it is very unlikely and that is absolutely bad news for us of course."

Kovacic only recently returned from an ankle ligament injury, and it appears he has suffered a recurrence after the nasty tackle from James.

He looks set to miss the Wembley showdown in two days' time, but Tuchel will be hoping that N'Golo Kante is deemed fit for the game.

Else, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Jorginho are expected to start in midfield.