Morecambe face a welcome challenge as they take on Chelsea in the FA Cup third round on Sunday.

The League Two side are enjoying an excellent season so far and are currently on a four-match winning run which has put them firmly in contention for promotion from the fourth tier.

However they haven't played since Boxing Day due to the ongoing global pandemic, meaning that they could be a bit rusty for the clash with Frank Lampard's side.

For Chelsea it's simply a case of needing to win.

Regardless of what side the Blues field the expectation is on them to progress to the fourth round, meaning that it'll be interesting to see how the West London side handle the pressure of the occasion.

But with home advantage on their side Mark Lawrenson expects Lampard's side to record a 3-0 victory.

Writing for BBC Sport, Lawrenson said: "Morecambe's last two league games have been called off because of coronavirus, so they will definitely be ready for Chelsea.

"I am still expecting the Blues to win, but it will be interesting to see what kind of team their manager Frank Lampard puts out.

"The fact there are no replays adds a bit more jeopardy to all of these ties, but there is extra time before penalties and if Premier League sides can't beat lower-league opposition after two hours, then they don't deserve a second chance."

The Derek Adams quiz – How much do you know about the Morecambe boss?

The Verdict

Morecambe have nothing to lose here.

With promotion from League Two the priority this is a game where they can pretty much just enjoy the challenge of facing one of the worlds' biggest sides.

They'll be hopeful of causing an upset, but it's hard to look past Frank Lampard's side.