Pressure is on Chelsea with FA Cup last chance to win a trophy, warns Leicester boss Claude Puel

Sean Taylor16 March 2018

Leicester boss Claude Puel believes all the pressure is on Chelsea ahead of the FA Cup quarter-final between the two sides on Sunday.

Having been knocked out of the Champions League by Barcelona this week, the FA Cup remains the only piece of silverware attainable by Antonio Conte's team.

Chelsea were finalists last year, losing to Arsenal, and last lifted the trophy in 2012, defeating Leicester at this stage of the competition en route. That was the last time the Foxes reached the last eight.

Puel acknowledges the tie is important for his side, but he also hopes there will be bigger games to come this season for his players.

"Yes the pressure is on Chelsea," he said. "It is the last chance for them to win a trophy.

In Pictures | Barcelona vs Chelsea | 14/03/2018

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"I think for us it is not just a normal game also. The players wait for these games with desire and without pressure because this team is favourite, but we have good attributes also and we can cause them problems.

"We need to give a collective response against this team. It is a big game for the fans and the squad and the club."

Asked if it was Leicester's biggest game of the season, Puel replied: "I hope not. I hope all the big important games are to come, of course. We will see. I don't know.

"Of course all the games we can play are big. It is a decisive game, more important I don't know. It is a good opportunity at home, a chance to see perhaps the semi-finals.

"For Chelsea it is the same, the last opportunity to win something this season. It is a good challenge, an exciting challenge to play a big team in our stadium in front of our fans."

Puel is expected to have an unchanged squad. Daniel Amartey will not return from his hamstring injury until after the international break, while Robert Huth continues to work his way back from the ankle problem that has blighted his campaign.

Kelechi Iheanacho will hope to play, while the likes of Aleksander Dragovic, Christian Fuchs, Matty James and Marc Albrighton could also come into contention for recalls.

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