Has Charlton's big cup night come at a cost?

"Image source, Getty Images A reward for promotion? A bye to the third round of the FA Cup. And the prize? A showcase clash with trophy-laden Chelsea under The Valley lights. For Charlton fans, it was the kind of glamorous tie that reminds you why the cup still matters. Yet as the fog rolled in to SE7 on a bitterly cold January night, you had to wonder, has the occasion come at a cost?"

"The concern was not so much the 51 defeat by the Club World Cup Champions, but the sight of Amari'i Bell grimacing again with that recurring hamstring issue. Tyreece Campbell joined the injury list too. Boss Nathan Jones would never have risked Bell in a routine third round tie against Port Vale but this was too big a night to pass up."

"Chelsea arrived with a new head coach in Liam Rosenior and The Valley buzzed with an expectant crowd of 26,475 with the pyrotechnics dancing before kick-off. Going into first-half added time, we were holding our own before Jorrel Hato struck. After the restart, we attacked the Covered End with gusto but criminally we conceded from a simply worked set piece to go two down from a header by Tosin Adarabioyo,"

Charlton earned a third-round FA Cup tie against Chelsea after promotion, drawing 26,475 fans to The Valley on a cold, foggy night. Injuries overshadowed the occasion as Amari'i Bell grimaced with a recurring hamstring problem and Tyreece Campbell joined the casualty list. Nathan Jones risked Bell for the glamour tie despite avoiding such risks in routine cup fixtures. Chelsea led in first-half added time through Jorrel Hato and extended the lead early in the second half with a Tosin Adarabioyo header. Miles Leaburn pulled one back, but Chelsea restored the two-goal cushion and added two late goals to win 5-1. Will Mannion impressed in goal and Leaburn’s strike should boost his confidence.

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