The match kicks off on Saturday at 5.45pm UK time at the Stok Cae Ras (Racecourse Ground), with a place in the quarter-finals awaiting the winners.

Eight-time FA Cup winners Chelsea have progressed from 63 of our past 65 FA Cup ties against lower-league sides, including each of the past 24.

However, Dragons boss Phil Parkinson, then of Bradford City, was responsible for one of the two losses in that run, 4-2 at Stamford Bridge in 2015.

England’s oldest trophy pursuit has already claimed nine top-tier casualties and three all-Premier League ties will ensure further losses in this round.

Until now, the north-Wales side had not reached this stage of English’s oldest competition since 1996/97, the year the Londoners won it for the second time.

Chelsea have progressed from 14 of our 16 fifth-round FA Cup ties, losing only to Manchester clubs City in 2014 and United in 2019.

Pedro Neto’s hat-trick against Hull City in the previous round was the first for Chelsea in the FA Cup since Tammy Abraham against Luton Town in 2021. The Portugal winger also scored against Charlton Athletic. His Spanish namesake Pedro was the most recent Blues player to net in rounds three, four and five of this competition, in 2016/17.

How Chelsea reached the fifth round

Third round: Charlton Athletic (a) W 5-1
Fourth round: Hull City (a) W 4-0

How Wrexham reached the fifth round

Third round: Nottingham Forest (h) W 3-3 (4-3 pens)
Fourth round: Ipswich Town (h) W 1-0

Team news

Speaking in his pre-match press conference at Cobham on Friday afternoon, Liam Rosenior confirmed that Romeo Lavia will be involved against Wrexham, although this game comes too soon for Estevao Willian or Jamie Gittens to make their returns.

'Romeo will definitely play a part and he'll play a huge part for the rest of the season,' said our head coach. 'He’s been itching to play, but we’ve tried to build him in the best possible way. But his chances will come and he's definitely going to play in these next few games.

‘Estevao is back on the pitch, but he is not quite ready for this one. He just needs to clear a few more markers first, and we need to be careful with him given he’s had a hamstring injury. It will be a big boost to have him back with the group.

‘Jamie Gittens is getting really close and he had a really positive scan. We hope that he can be back with the group within the next seven days or so. In terms of from the Aston Villa game, there's no injuries from that, which is fantastic.'

Rosenior also revealed that two Academy wingers will be heading to Wales as part of the senior squad for this FA Cup tie.

‘Ryan [Kavuma-McQueen] and Jesse [Derry] will travel with the group, so they will be part of the squad for Wrexham,’ he added. 'I want to develop players from within this Academy as well, so they’ll be travelling with us. Jesse’s really impressed me, Ryan's impressed, but it’s not just those two.'

The history

The last, and only, time Chelsea were drawn to play Wrexham in the FA Cup was in 1982 – coincidentally after beating Hull City in the previous round, as is the case now.

Cash-strapped and struggling to find a viable path back to Division One, John Neal’s Chelsea team needed a decent cup run, but the Welsh visitors frustrated the Blues at the Bridge to draw 0-0.

By the time we arrived at the Racecourse Ground for the replay, both sides knew the prize for success would be a home tie against Liverpool – a team the Blues had ousted from the cup in the last two meetings.

The deadlock was broken by the Dragons’ Dixie McNeil and the Londoners missed a host of chances before Alan Mayes converted from close range, securing a second replay. Wrexham boss Mel Sutton called the referee’s coin-toss correctly, so it was back to north Wales for the second replay.

‘It’s like a soap opera – another instalment next Tuesday,’ quipped Neal. ‘I know we are skint, but this is ridiculous.’ A share of extra matchday revenue was always handy.

One of the reasons for the Blues’ travails had been Wrexham’s excellent rearguard of defender Joey Jones and keeper Eddie Niedzwiecki – both soon to switch to the Bridge. The great Mickey Thomas was another who starred for both clubs.

However, after Mickey Droy opened the scoring, it was Welsh international goalie Niedzwiecki's uncharacteristic misjudgement of a cross that allowed striker Mayes to score into an empty net. Mick Vinter notched late on for the hosts, but it was Chelsea who would face European champions Liverpool in round five, and beat them 2-0.

Know this...

Wrexham have played two home matches so far in the FA Cup, Chelsea two away fixtures.

Chelsea have won six and drawn one of our last seven trips to Wales, including a 3-1 victory at Cardiff City in this season's Carabao Cup.

Chelsea were the first Football League club from London to reach the FA Cup final in 1915 and rank third for the number of times we have won the competition (eight). Only Arsenal (14) and Manchester United (13) have lifted the famous old cup more.

On Wednesday at Villa Park, Joao Pedro became the fourth member of the Londoners’ current squad to notch a hat-trick for the Blues, alongside Cole Palmer (who has four), Marc Guiu and Pedro Neto.

A home game against Wrexham back on 16 August 1980 marked the debut of a Chelsea figure still popular on the Stamford Bridge pitch to this day, our mascot Stamford the Lion.