Michael Hector calls on the US to change rules in FA Cup after being denied the opportunity to play

Michael Hector, Chelsea's defender loaned Wednesday to Sheffield, called for a rule change in the FA Cup after being denied the opportunity to play at Stamford Bridge for the second year in a row.

Both clubs were happy that the 26-year-old defender faced his parent club in the Sunday draw in front of the club, but were stopped by strict competition rules.

However, in the Carabao Cup, players can face parent clubs, as Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori did for Derby against Chelsea earlier this season. It can also happen in the Champions League, where Thibaut Courtois faced Chelsea for the Atletico Madrid loan.

Michael Hector's calls for a rule change to the FA Cup after being denied the opportunity to play Chelsea

Hector is on loan to Sheffield on Wednesday from Chelsea and has the same problem last season

"Obviously, it's cruel to miss this opportunity because you want to play in a big game like this. That's also what happened to Hull City last season, which makes it hard to take, "Hector said.

"These are the rules for the moment but I hope they will be changed. It would be a great help for young players to participate in great opportunities like this one. I think Sheffield asked Chelsea and they said I could play but the FA intervened and said no.

"You have to accept it, but that makes no sense because I've already played for Sheffield Wednesday in the competition, so I'm tied for anyone, including Chelsea."

Sources in the clubs confirmed checking the rules together to see if Hector was eligible, but understood that a call for the waiver of the FA would have been futile.

Instead, Hector will be at Stamford Bridge this afternoon as a spectator. The fact that he still has not played there despite Chelsea's signing at Reading in 2015 adds to the frustration.

Carabao Cup players can compete against parent clubs, as Mason Mount did in Chelsea.

Since then, the Jamaican international defender has been loaned to Reading, Eintracht Frankfurt, Hull (who lost 4-0 to Chelsea in the fifth round of last season) and Wednesday, where he has played 21 times this season.

"I was given the number 30 of the peloton in 2016 and my shirts were printed, but after doing the pre-season with the club, I went on loan in Germany. Since then, I have not had a team number and David Luiz then took the number 30! "He declares.

"I grew up in London as a big fan of Chelsea and Gianfranco Zola was my hero. So it was fun to meet him during the pre-season tour in Australia this year when he came back to the club as a coach. I would have loved playing for Chelsea if I was allowed to, but that did not happen.

The other players on Wednesday are aware of Hector's disappointment. Portuguese midfielder Marco Matias said: Of course, everyone wants to play the big matches and he (Hector) is sad for that. We will try to win to give him the opportunity to play in the next round. & # 39;

Hector said: "It's scuffed. These are the rules for the moment but hopefully they will be changed & # 39;

Six thousand spectators on Wednesday will make the trip south in the final match of Acting Coach Steve Agnew to head the club before his new boss, Steve Bruce, comes to just watch the players from England cricket during their test match against the West Indies.

Matias could be a dangerous man who finally settled an injury to the groin that lasted 18 months. In Portugal, you play one game a week and here there are three. It was a change for my body and I felt it, he said.

The 29-year-old – who has already won the Portuguese Cup with Vitoria Guimaraes – is so serene to travel to Stamford Bridge that he has not even seen Chelsea's win in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup against Spurs Thursday night.

Matias has become even more popular at the club since he opened a pastry shop in downtown Sheffield called Lisbao in December, specializing in the specialties of his home country.

"We have footballers coming in, but the most famous person in the shop is our boss. This is a friend of the Portuguese family and people love him. They crowd around him to see what he's doing. The specialty is Pasteis de Nata – egg cream, as you say in England.

"Maybe if we win the FA Cup, we'll give free cakes for an hour!"

Defender joined Chelsea in 2015 but still has not played at Stamford Bridge