With a top four finish highly unlikely after a bad start to the season, interim Chelsea coach Guus Hiddink has thrown all his efforts into guiding the Blues to victory in the FA Cup as that - plus the Champions League (albeit unlikely) - represent the only chances the London giants can win any silverware this campaign.
However, they will have to get past yet another Championship side, MK Dons, in order to proceed to the fifth round and beyond.
MK Dons
The hosts will be coming into this match having experienced a mixed start to 2016, with two losses, one win, and one draw in their first four games. The Dons, who were promoted to the Championship from League One have done quite poorly since arriving in the second-tier and Karl Robinson's side are just two points away from the drop zone. In those four league games, MK Dons managed to score just three goals, whilst conceding nine and despite Chelsea not enjoying their best campaign this time around, Robinson will have to hope his squad shore up their defense if they wish to progress to the next round.
This is the second time that MK Dons have made it to the FA Cup fourth round, and will be their 14th meeting with a Premier League side. Although they have failed to score in more than ten of their league games and have lost 16 out of their 28 league games, they have pulled off a shock upset against a team in the top flight. Manchester United fans will not remember too fondly playing them last season after they were humiliated 4-0 in the second round of the Capital One Cup.
MK Dons will be missing Matthew Upson, Carl Baker, and Ben Reeves due to injury, whilst Nicky Maynard will have to undergo a late fitness test to see if he will be able to feature.
Chelsea
In Hiddink's first term at Stamford Bridge, the Dutch tactician clinched the FA Cup. Now in a second caretaker spell with the Blues, the team have so far managed to put together an eight-match unbeaten run across all competitions, but are still rooted in the bottom half of the table. Their last loss came on December 14th, when they were overpowered 2-1 by Leicester. Not surprisingly, Hiddink fielded a strong line-up against Scunthorpe - despite their being in League One - to guarantee success, and even then, it was not the easiest 2-0 win for Chelsea.
Last weekend saw them beat cross-town rivals Arsenal, completing the double over the Gunners and marking the first time all season that Chelsea have won two wins on the road back-to-back. Should they manage a victory on Sunday, it will be the first time since April 2015 that they have strung together three consecutive wins away from home.
During the 2014/2015 season, the Blues were dumped out of this competition by Bradford after letting a two goal lead slip, but back then, they were more focused on winning the league. This time around, the FA Cup looks likely to be their only chance of featuring in European competition next season and they will be loath to allow this opportunity to slip away this time.
Fortunately for the visitors, Diego Costa appears to have shaken off a knee injury sustained during the game versus Arsenal and may start from the beginning - although their congested fixture list will concern Hiddink about how much his main striker is used. After nearly four weeks on the sidelines, Eden Hazard could return to the fold in some capacity, and Gary Cahill also could make an appearance after struggling to nail down a spot in the starting XI as of late. Finally, Thibaut Courtois could make way for second-choice keeper Asmir Begovic as is usually customary for cup matches.
Which channel is broadcasting MK Dons vs Chelsea on TV or Online?
Stadium mk will be rocking as MK Dons welcome Chelsea for what could be an interesting clash between the hosts and the London giants. However, if you are not able to attend the match in person, no worries. LiveSoccerTV.com has you covered with viewing choices via TV, computer, phone, or tablet.
Here are some options for fans residing in the following countries:
- In the USA at 11:00 EST on: Fox Soccer 2GO USA, Fox Sports GO, Fox Sports 1 USA, Fox Deportes
- In the UK at 16:00 GMT on: BBC One UK, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Red Button, BBC Radio, BBC Scotland
- In Canada at 11:00 ET on: Sportsnet World Now, Sportsnet World
Live elsewhere? Check out our MK Dons vs Chelsea broadcast page for viewing times and options for your specific location.
*Note: Live broadcast data is subject to change*
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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