'Risk you take' - Rosenior explains Chelsea rotation

Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior has defended his heavy squad rotation after his side edged past 10‑man Wrexham to reach the FA Cup quarter‑finals.

The 41‑year‑old made nine changes from their 4‑1 win at Aston Villa but needed extra‑time goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Joao Pedro, after Wrexham lost momentum following George Dobson's red card at the end of normal time.

Rosenior has averaged five changes per match, is yet to field the same back four in consecutive games and has also begun rotating his goalkeepers, Rob Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen.

When asked whether the level of rotation risked disrupting the team, Rosenior said: "Yeah, that's the risk that you take."

Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez were given the night off and left out of the squad, while Reece James was an unused substitute and Marc Cucurella and Joao Pedro came off the bench.

Rosenior added: "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 up to speed. Dario Essugo, we have to give him time on the pitch.

"[Lavia] is a top player, but you can't expect perfection from a player who's been out for four months.

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

"I would say it's not guaranteed that if you start your first 11, these games will come easier. And also the amount of games my squad have had in the last 18 months is the biggest in the world. So at some point I have to trust the group. They repaid my trust with the result tonight."

Chelsea next face Paris St‑Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Lavia started his first match in more than four months, having gone off injured just eight minutes into a Champions League tie away to Qarabag in November.