Chelsea duo Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer are expected to star for the Blues against Manchester City in Saturday’s FA Cup final at Wembley.
Chelsea take on Pep Guardiola’s side in a 15h00 kick-off at the national stadium with the chance to win the FA Cup and end the season with major silverware.
McFarlane knows Chelsea’s attacking players could be decisive against City, with both Pedro and Palmer expected to play key roles in breaking down one of the toughest defences in English football.
Brazil international Joao Pedro is likely to lead the line after impressing in several attacking roles during his first season at Stamford Bridge. Although he has also operated as a No10, the forward has increasingly settled into the central striker role in recent months.
Speaking at Cobham ahead of the final, McFarlane praised Pedro’s progress and backed him to continue his strong form on the biggest stage.
“Joao’s had a great year,” McFarlane said.
“He’s played many different positions, but he seems to have settled into that No9 role, and he’s got everything you’d want from a top No9.
“It’s a big summer coming up for him with the World Cup with Brazil, but he’s been excellent for Chelsea, and hopefully he continues that for the last three games.”
Cole Palmer is also expected to be central to Chelsea’s plans at Wembley. The England international has switched between a central attacking role and the right flank this season while also managing injury problems.
McFarlane was encouraged by Palmer’s display in last weekend’s 1-1 draw at Liverpool and hopes the midfielder can produce another big performance against City.
“He’s had some really good games for us this year,” McFarlane added.
“He’s had a lot of injuries that he’s had to deal with, but I was really pleased with Cole on Saturday.
“I thought he had moments where he showed his level and his quality and we’re really hopeful Cole can produce that from now to the end of the season.”
With Wembley preparing for another major final, Chelsea will look to Palmer and Pedro to provide the quality needed to overcome Manchester City and lift the famous trophy on Saturday.
