Middlesbrough FC boss Chris Wilder: Ten teams are in the mix for Championship promotion

First-half goals from Romelu Lukaku and Hakim Ziyech saw the Blues comfortably progress into the last four and end Boro's fantastic nine-match winning sequence at the Riverside Stadium.

Despite being second best, Boro's fans in a sell-out crowd stuck with their side and Wilder says that the focus will now switch, after a short hiatus in the international break, to play-off business as the Teessiders seek to confirm a top-six spot in the Championship games remaining - with the play-off final taking place at Wembley in late May.

Wilder said: "It's been a fantastic cup run. It could not have been any more difficult, especially the last three games - Man United, Spurs and Chelsea.

"We were competitive and I thought we were better in the second half.

"We hadn't had a lot of time to work on the training ground and it was rest and recover and now we have a little bit of time to rest the mind and body and there's nine games to go and I think there are ten teams in it.

"We are right amongst it and have just got to be nice and calm and go about our business.

"I thought our support was outstanding tonight right the way through. You are 2-0 down and there was a long way back, but the supporters stayed with us and I have got to say thanks for that."

Paying credit to Chelsea, who produced a strong and disciplined performance all night, Wilder continued: "Their counter-attack was excellent and they just showed their quality in key moments.

"The goals were obviously difficult for us to take and the goals were preventable. The first one, we gave the ball away in a good area and they countered on us and they really shouldn't be allowed that time in the six-yard box and with the second one, it was the same again.

"We've gone to press and it is difficult to get that balance when to press as they are good players and want to suck you in and try and play around you and they did.

"All of a sudden, it was a quick counter attack, Ziyech left foot - bottom corner and then it was obviously a mountain to climb."

Wilder said that Dael Fry came off at the interval with a groin issue, while Paddy McNair suffered a foot injury early in the second period.

Both are not serious, but Wilder says he does not think McNair will be playing football for 7-10 days - which is likely to rule him out of Northern Ireland action in the international break.