Chelsea are preparing for their third FA Cup semi-final in three seasons as they face Crystal Palace at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.
Chelsea are preparing for their third FA Cup semi-final in three seasons as they face Crystal Palace at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.
The Eagles have been highly impressive all season under Patrick Vieira and have reached the final four of the competition for the first time since 2016.
However the south Londoners will be without one of their key players in Conor Gallagher, who is on loan from the Blues.
Gallagher is Palace's second highest goal contributor this season with eight goals and five assists to his name.
He has also had a helping hand in their FA Cup run so far, picking up two assists on their way to Wembley.
Thomas Tuchel has been vocal in his praise for the central midfielder when speaking to the official Chelsea website, as he said:"His development is extraordinary and outstanding. He is one of the key players at Crystal Palace and he has made a huge step in his development up front.
There are now thoughts that when he returns to Cobham in the summer, he will be given a chance in the first team next season."He was a pleasure to coach in pre-season - he has so much positive energy, so much energy in general and so much work-rate to give that he can of course be a big help and a big influence."
He could be able to work his way into the hotly contested midfield spots, which currently feature the likes of Jorginho, N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic, all of whom have been crucial to Chelsea's success since they joined.
Gallagher has not yet thought about his future at the reigning World and European Champions though, admitting: “I haven’t thought about my future at all. I just take every game as it comes, so I’ve not I’ve not thought too ahead at all."
His absence from the semi-final could be beneficial for the Blues, who are looking to reach the final for the third season in a row and will want to avenge their previous losses at the last hurdle against Arsenal and Leicester City.
"I believe that Conor can be a part of our squad and can play a role with us but I’m not the only one to decide.
"We need to speak after the season with everybody and we need to see what Conor wants. We need to see what the situation is, what role we have for him and what he can fight for because you need something to fight for.
"You need to have a role and a perspective about where you are, where you can be and what to achieve. We have to be very clear with him, he needs to be clear with us and we will sort it out."
Thanks to his impressive performances for Palace this season, which has attracted attention from a number of clubs who may be interested in signing him this summer, there is a big chance that Gallagher could be the next Cobham graduate to play senior football for Chelsea.
The likes of Mason Mount and Reece James have both had similar journeys, and they are now key members of the first team squad.
Chelsea may have a battle on their hands to keep the youngster at the club and he may not be a consistent starter from the get go should he stay.
However Gallagher has proved on numerous occasions this season why he could certainly play a big role in the Blues' future, especially as they set their sights on more trophies and success in the seasons to come.
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