The FA Cup Third Round schedule includes plenty of Premier League versus EFL Championship match ups with Chelsea hosting Preston on January 6.
The Blues endured a mixed run of Premier League results at the end of 2023 with two wins and a defeat over the festive period.
Mauricio Pochettino will be looking at a possible FA Cup run in the second half of the campaign, alongside a Carabao Cup semifinal against Middlesbrough this month, with visitors Preston winning just one of their last five games.
The Sporting News looks at the key details ahead of this game, including how to watch it across the world, kickoff times and the latest lineup news.
What time does Chelsea vs Preston kick off?
This FA Cup clash takes place at Stamford Bridge in London, UK and kicks off on Saturday, January 6 at 5:30 p.m. local time.
Here's how that time translates across some of the major territories:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| USA | Sat, Jan. 6 | 12:30 p.m. ET |
| Canada | Sat, Jan. 6 | 12:30 p.m. ET |
| UK | Sat, Jan. 6 | 5:30 p.m. GMT |
| Australia | Sun, Jan. 7 | 4:30 a.m. AEDT |
| India | Sat, Jan. 6 | 11:00 p.m. IST |
Chelsea vs Preston live stream, TV channel
Here's how to watch this FA Cup match across selected areas of the world's major regions:
| Region | TV | Streaming |
| USA | — | ESPN+ |
| Canada | Sportsnet World | Sportsnet NOW |
| UK | — | BBC iPlayer |
| Australia | — | Paramount+ |
| India | — | — |
USA: This game is available on ESPN+.
Canada: This game is live streaming exclusively on Sportsnet NOW.
Australia: Fans in Australia can stream FA Cup matches live and on demand on Paramount+.
UK: The BBC have selected Middlesbrough vs Aston Villa for televised coverage in this slot. However, streaming access is available via the BBC iPlayer.
Chelsea vs Preston lineups, team news
Pochettino gave some of his fringe players a chance to impress in this game but his injury list still includes key names such as Reece James, Robert Sanchez and Romeo Lavia.
Enzo Fernandez and Raheem Sterling were among the senior stars to start alongside the likes of highly rated academy graduate Alfie Gilchrist.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1, right to left): Petrovic (GK) — Gusto, Gilchrist, Colwill, Disasi — Fernandez, Caicedo — Sterling, Palmer, Mudryk — Broja.
Chelsea subs (9): Bettinelli (GK), Bergstrom, Thiago Silva, Williams, Maatsen, Gallagher, Golding, Madueke, Washington.
Preston head coach Ryan Lowe made two changes from the side who started 2024 with a 2-0 defeat at Sunderland in the Championship.
Will Keane and Milutin Osmajic replaced Ched Evans and Mads Frokjaer-Jensen in attack.
Preston (4-5-1 right to left): Woodman (GK) — Potts, Storey, Lindsay, Hughes — Browne, Whiteman, McCann, Millar — Keane, Osmajic.
Preston subs (9): Cornell (GK), Cunningham, Best, Ledson, Frokjaer-Jensen, Holmes, Woodburn, Evans, Riis.
Chelsea vs Preston prediction
This clash is unlikely to be on the list of possible FA Cup upsets as Preston's form is not particularly consistent in the EFL Championship.
Chelsea are yet to hit top speed this season, but there are fleeting signs of positive momentum for Pochettino, and they should have little issue easing into the Fourth Round.
Prediction: Chelsea 3-0 Preston
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