The FA Cup fourth round begins with an important match at the MKM Stadium on Friday night as Chelsea faces Hull City.
This matchup features Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior returning to a place where he played for five years and managed for nearly two years. Chelsea aims to recover from a disappointing 2–2 draw against Leeds United, while Hull seeks to make it to the fifth round for the first time since 2018. Rosenior has stated he will approach this game with the same seriousness as a Champions League match, vowing to put out a strong team despite the personal significance of the occasion.
Hull City vs Chelsea – Match preview and team news
- Date: Friday, 13 February 2026
- Kick-off: 19:45 GMT
- Venue: MKM Stadium, Hull
- Referee: Farai Hallam
- VAR: Not in operation
- Last Meeting: Hull City 1–2 Chelsea (25 Jan 2020), FA Cup
Team News
Hull City
Hull will be without Semi Ajayi, who has been out due to a hamstring injury since AFCON 2025. Mohamed Belloumi, Cody Drameh, and Matt Crooks are also unavailable due to different injuries. The team will look to their leading scorers, Oli McBurnie and Joe Gelhardt, who have netted a combined 22 goals in the Championship this season.
Chelsea
Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella is out after injuring his hamstring against Leeds, joining Levi Colwill and Jamie Gittens on the injury list. Captain Reece James is being evaluated after illness but is back in light training. Rosenior mentioned that Mamadou Sarr likely has a good chance to start after returning from his loan at Strasbourg. Wesley Fofana may also make an appearance as he continues to return to match fitness.
Form
Hull City
Hull has made the MKM Stadium a tough place for opponents this season. They are currently fourth in the Championship and had a six-game unbeaten streak before losing to Bristol City last weekend. However, historically, they have had difficulty against Chelsea, winning just one of their last 35 encounters, with that victory occurring in 1988.
Chelsea
Chelsea comes into this match with a strong record against lower-division teams, having won 62 out of their last 64 FA Cup matches against such opponents. Under Rosenior’s leadership, the team has secured seven wins in their last 10 matches, even though they are facing a quick turnaround after their league game on Tuesday. The last time a lower-division team eliminated Chelsea from the FA Cup was in 2015 against Bradford City.
Predicted Lineups
Hull City Predicted XI: Pandur; McNair, Egan, Hughes; Coyle, Slater, Lundstram, Giles; Gelhardt; Joseph, McBurnie
Chelsea Predicted XI: Sanchez; Acheampong, Fofana, Badiashile, Hato; Caicedo, Santos; Neto, Estevao, Garnacho; Delap
How to Watch Hull City vs Chelsea?
In the UK, the match will be shown live on BBC One and TNT Sports 3. Coverage begins at 19:30 on BBC One and at 19:00 on TNT Sports 3.
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