Liam Rosenior’s men have had a bruising last few weeks, crashing out of the Champions League and faltering in the race to finish in the Premier League top five.
The Blues were beaten heavily by Paris Saint-Germain on the continent, losing 8-2 on aggregate in the last 16.
In the league, they stumbled to defeats by Newcastle United and Everton as they lost ground on Manchester United, Aston Villa and Liverpool in their bid to secure a top-five place.
This Easter fixture against League One’s basement boys Port Vale gives Chelsea a huge opportunity to stop the rot and return to winning ways, with the added bonus of reaching a major semi-final.
Vale themselves are practically down already from the third tier, 14 points adrift of safety with eight games left to play.
The Valiants are currently led by experienced head Jon Brady, but they don;t come into this clash with any kind of consistent form.
A 1-0 win over Bolton Wanderers in late March was a pleasant surprise, but they were brought crashing down to earth with 1-0 and 4-0 defeats by Doncaster Rovers and Wycombe Wanderers respectively.
In the FA Cup, however, they have been a completely different prospect.
They stunned Sunderland in the fifth round to earn their place in the hat for the last eight, with Ben Waine’s first-half strike enough to send them through at Vale Park.
That followed another upset in the fourth round, as they beat Bristol City by the same scoreline at home, with Waine notching in extra time.
Date, kick-off time and venue
Chelsea vs Port Vale is scheduled for a 5.15pm BST kick-off on Saturday, April 4, 2026.
The match will take place at Stamford Bridge.
Where to watch Chelsea vs Port Vale
TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on BBC One as well as TNT Sports 1. Coverage on the BBC starts at 5pm BST, while the TNT coverage begins at 4.30pm.
Live stream: You can stream the game live and for free on BBC iPlayer with a TV licence. TNT Sports subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the HBO Max app and website.
Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog, with expert analysis from Dom Smith at the ground.
Chelsea vs Port Vale team news
After a season of what feels like continued injury crisis, there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel for Rosenior.
Yes, there are still absentees, but nowhere near as many as Chelsea have had to deal with this term.
Rosenior said before the break that the right-back would be assessed following the international window, although it remains to be seen if he could feature here.
Benoit Badiashile was struck down with a virus ahead of the international break and could be in line for a return here, while Filip Jorgesen underwent a “small operation” on a groin problem.
Jamie Gittens was seen back in team training, but was held back from the 3-0 defeat at Everton after suffering a slight setback in his hamstring rehabilitation.
As for Vale, they have a few former Premier League stars in their ranks.
They include ex-Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Amos, former Burnley and Watford striker Andre Gray, and the old Norwich winger Onel Hernandez.
On the treatment table, however, are two of their star players.
Midfield orchestrator George Byers, formerly of Sheffield Wednesday, is out, and so is target man Jayden Stockley.
Ex-AFC Wimbledon defender Ben Heneghan and Ryan Croasdale are also sidelined.
Chelsea vs Port Vale prediction
This should – in theory – be a relatively straightforward game for the hosts.
But questions are still likely to be asked of the fringe players, and of Rosenior, depending on how much he rotates here.
With the FA Cup now the Blues’ only remaining hope of silverware this term, surely he goes strong?
Head to head (h2h) history and results
Chelsea vs Port Vale match odds
Odds via Betfair (subject to change).