Blues still need to get past Steaua in the Europa League though.
Chelsea face the prospect of playing an incredible three matches in the space of just six days if the Champions League holders are able to progress beyond Steaua Bucharest in the second leg of their Europa League last 16 clash at Stamford Bridge on Thursday night, reports the Guardian.
The West Londoners entertain the Romanian giants looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg last week and if, as expected, the Blues manage to see off the challenge of Steaua, then they are set for a tough run of fixtures next month.
The Football Association announced on Wednesday that the club’s FA Cup quarter-final replay with runaway Premier League leaders Manchester United at the Bridge will now take place on Easter Monday, April 1, at 13:30GMT.
And, that Cup replay will come just two days after Chelsea take on relegation strugglers Southampton, while they would then await a potential Europa League last eight first leg showdown only three days after the United fixture.
Benitez will surely have to rotate his squad between the two games, and which competition he prioritises could make for an interesting insight into how strong he feels Chelsea’s grasp of a UEFA Champions League spot is in the Premier League.
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