The Blues’ progress in the FA Cup – reaching the semis to face Palace at Wembley after a professional victory at Middlesbrough – means that the eagerly awaited trip to Elland Road to meet Leeds in the league will have to be moved.

Though tough, being drawn against Palace is certainly the least worst cup option, with Man City and Liverpool squaring up in the other semi on the weekend of April 16/17.

There is a lull in league hostilities this week for an international break as England play Switzerland, then Ivory Coast, in two rapid-fire friendlies.

Chelsea fans hope that will give the American bank which is handling the sale of the club a chance to pick a new owner, although a looming problem is that Roman Abramovich still gets the final say.

If he decides that he doesn’t want to sell to UK or US bidders, because his bank accounts have been frozen, then the net will have to be cast wider.

All Chelsea’s corporate credit cards have been suspended, which has had some unintended consequences. The Women’s manager Emma Hayes had to fumble through her handbag for an alternative card to pay son Harry’s £240 school lunch bill this week! “The school’s hounding me,” she joked.

It’s in the Government’s interest to sort out Chelsea’s situation as quickly as possible. With fans unable to buy tickets to games, and no revenue coming in, the end-of-the-month wage bill is looking daunting.

The season ticket holders who were able to attend Chelsea Women’s FA Cup victory against Birmingham last weekend had a new, defiant chant: ‘Champions of England… you can’t sanction that!’