Wrexham 2-4 Chelsea: Liam Rosenior justifies team-selection risks despite FA Cup scare

Head coach Liam Rosenior has claimed that rotating his Chelsea squad for Saturday's FA Cup tie with Wrexham was 'a risk worth taking'.

With Paris Saint-Germain to come on Wednesday, Rosenior made the decision to rest five likely starters in France and make a total of nine changes to his starting lineup.

When Chelsea found themselves 1-0 and 2-1 down to the Championship outfit, the Englishman faced the likelihood of criticism for his team selection.

Instead, a 4-2 victory after extra time at the Racecourse Ground proved enough to book Chelsea's place in the quarter-finals of the competition.

Speaking at a press conference after the game, Rosenior acknowledged that he had taken a risk by handing minutes to so many of his backup squad members.

Chelsea respond almost INSTANTLY against Wrexham ⏱️

Josh Acheampong makes it 2-2... some game!

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Rosenior speaks on Chelsea rotation

Nevertheless, Rosenior talked up the importance of the likes of Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo getting minutes in their legs after a prolonged period on the sidelines.

He told reporters: "That's the risk that you take. We are going into a period of games where, for example, Romeo Lavia can be really important because he has to play minutes. We have to get him to speed.

"Dario Essugo, we have to give him the time on the pitch. It's not just about your first 11 or your first 12 players to get us to where we want to be.

"The only way that our players and our squad are going to help us to achieve what I think is possible is for them to be sharp and ready.

"That's a risk that you take by rotating, but it's also the trust I have in the group to make sure we win games and get the squad in the best possible shape."

An unmarked Alejandro Garnacho smacks the ball into the back of the net to give Chelsea the lead in extra-time ?

10-man Wrexham are undone.

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Why Rosenior deserves praise for team selection

Lavia had not started a game since November 5, while Essugo was earning his first senior minutes of the season after several injury setbacks.

However, resting the likes of Wesley Fofana, Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez and Cole Palmer also felt like necessities when considering the context of the season and last summer's Club World Cup campaign.

Meanwhile, players such as Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoit Badiashile, Josh Acheampong and Marc Guiu have all been short of game time of late.

Despite those factors, it was still a bold decision from Rosenior to take the approach of naming an under-cooked side when he risked criticism ahead of one of the biggest matches of the season.

As he acknowledged, there were elements of luck to Chelsea progressing past Wrexham, but he now has a number of players feeling more involved than they would have done if he had prioritised the result over player sharpness.