FA Cup final: Reece James, Marc Cucurella, Cole Palmer dilemmas facing Chelsea boss Calum McFarlane ahead of Wembley showpiece

Chelsea's interim head coach Calum McFarlane has been left with a number of selection dilemmas ahead of Saturday's FA Cup final against Manchester City.

Despite not helping the Blues' quest for European qualification, the 1-1 draw at Liverpool finally ended a six-match losing streak in the Premier League.

McFarlane can only be encouraged by the performance at Anfield, albeit his players likely motivated to earn a place in his starting lineup for the upcoming Wembley showpiece.

Providing that he suffered no ill-effects from his first senior start since July, Levi Colwill has put himself in line for a start against Pep Guardiola's side.

However, McFarlane faces a number of difficult decisions when it comes to selecting his first XI versus opponents who appear destined to miss out on the Premier League title.

Here, Sports Mole assesses four selection dilemmas for McFarlane as he contemplates how to win an unlikely FA Cup trophy.

Should Reece James start FA Cup final?

After nearly two months out of action with a hamstring injury, Reece James made a welcome return as a substitute against Liverpool.

The Chelsea captain seemingly came through 27 minutes, plus added-on time, with no issues to put himself in contention for a start in the FA Cup final.

However, there were times when the 26-year-old, perhaps understandably, did not look as lively as he may have done if he was fully-fit.

Playing in a midfield three alongside Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez meant that a lack of sharpness was not costly to Chelsea, and the hope is that another week of training would only lead to James' fitness improving prior to the FA Cup final.

That said, can McFarlane afford to play someone who is not 100% fit on such a big occasion?

Should Reece James start at right-back or in central midfield?

If James is deemed fit enough to start, McFarlane must then decide whether to use the England international at right-back or in central midfield.

McFarlane made a point of claiming that he was pleased with the combinations that Malo Gusto was forming at right-back against Liverpool, and the Frenchman ultimately played the full game on Merseyside.

Centre-midfielder Andrey Santos was the player who was replaced, partly due to his performance but also for James' presence in the engine room.

Santos has been given minutes in all five of McFarlane's games in charge, emphasising that he is well-thought of by the interim boss.

Nevertheless, if James is to be given minutes in this FA Cup final, it makes far more sense to include him in midfield than expose him to Jeremy Doku, one of English football's form players.

That is despite the question marks that remain over Gusto's overall defending and decision-making.

Marc Cucurella to start as a left-winger?

With Chelsea having no wingers available for the Liverpool game, it was effectively a free hit for McFarlane when it came to using Marc Cucurella as a left-winger.

However, the Spaniard produced his best performance in a Chelsea shirt for some time, even if he lacks the ruthlessness of a traditional wide attacker.

The move also allowed Jorrel Hato, one of Chelsea's most-improved players since the turn of the year, to feature at left-back, and the combination proved effective.

Even if Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho are declared fit, McFarlane surely has to stick with the same left-hand-side as the previous fixture.

On the flip side, the negative is that Cucurella has contributed just one goal and two assists for Chelsea since the October international break.

Cole Palmer or Pedro Neto on the right flank?

If Cucurella is selected in left-midfield, it effectively leaves McFarlane to decide who to start out of Cole Palmer and Neto on the right.

McFarlane will not remove Enzo Fernandez from his role as the most advanced midfielder of a three/the number 10 role for a game of this magnitude, so Palmer will either feature on the right or the substitutes' bench.

There have been times over the last two matches when Chelsea have missed Neto's pace and creativity.

However, McFarlane may wish to keep the Portugal international in reserve, particularly when he is bidding to shake off a muscle issue.

Palmer also produced an encouraging performance against Liverpool and deserves to start on the right. That said, he faces having to put in a strong defensive shift against Nico O'Reilly and Doku if Chelsea are to have any chance of containing the pair.

James could theoretically be used as Chelsea's right-sided central midfielder to help Gusto and Palmer in what may prove to be the key area of the pitch.

Predicted Chelsea XI for FA Cup final: Jorgensen; Gusto, Fofana, Colwill, Hato; James, Caicedo; Palmer, Fernandez, Cucurella; Pedro