Chelsea vs. Nottingham Forest: FA Cup 2019 Odds, Live Stream, TV Info

Chelsea will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing draw with Southampton in the Premier League when they start their defence of the FA Cup against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

The Blues were frustrated throughout their clash with Saints on Wednesday, with Maurizio Sarri's team nowhere near incisive enough with the possession they had. They looked like a team that were jaded at the end of a challenging festive period.

With that in mind, there will surely be a number of changes for Chelsea for their third-round tie, although they will need to be wary of Forest. Aitor Karanka's side earned an impressive 4-2 win over Championship leaders Leeds United on New Year's Day and knocked Arsenal out of the competition at this stage last season.

Here are the key details for the encounter, including the odds for the match and the viewing information.

Odds

Chelsea win (1-4)

Draw (6-1)

Nottingham Forest win (29-2)

Odds courtesy of Oddschecker

Date: Saturday, January 5

Time: 3 p.m. (GMT), 10 a.m. (ET)

TV Info: ESPN+ (U.S.)

Live Stream: ESPN Player (U.S.)

Preview

Tim Ireland/Associated Press

Although Sarri will be keen to earn some silverware in his first season as Chelsea boss, he will likely use this tie to give a number of players an overdue rest.

During the clash with Southampton, there was a distinct lack of freshness in the way the Blues went about their business. Despite dominating for long spells of the game, they were unable to find a way through the deep defensive setup employed by the visitors.

Football journalist Dan Levene summed up how Sarri's side toiled at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday:

Rotating the team may be the sensible option for the Italian here, but the squad is looking a little threadbare.

Not only are they already heavily reliant on Eden Hazard to spark them into life when the ball does get into the final third, an injury to Olivier Giroud has left them with one senior forward in the form of Alvaro Morata.

The former Real Madrid man was given his chance to start against Saints but again failed to grasp the opportunity. His lack of awareness in his movement is becoming an increasing source of frustration for Chelsea fans too:

One man who is likely to play is Cesc Fabregas, and the game could be his final outing for the Blues, having been strongly linked with a move to AS Monaco lately:

Forest have also had to battle through a challenging festive period, and Karanka may use this game to rotate his side as a result.

The team hasn't been performing to their best during this congested spell but did earn a morale-boosting win over Leeds in midweek, coming from behind to win 4-2.

The manager has been under pressure lately, with some speculation the axe is imminent, but he was delighted with the way his players responded on Tuesday:

A win here would surely give Karanka more credit in the bank, but there's every chance Forest's focus will be elsewhere. Their aim this season must be promotion, and they sit in seventh in the Championship table, four points behind Derby County in the final playoff spot.

As a result, Chelsea will likely have too much for their second-tier opponents, even if Sarri decides to ring the changes.

Prediction: Chelsea 2-0 Nottingham Forest