AFC Wimbledon U18s head coach Mark Robinson is a realist, admitting tonight’s FA Youth Cup clash with Chelsea is more than “just another game”.

The Dons face the Blues young stars at the Cherry Red Records stadium with a quarter-final against Reading the prize.

Robinson’s team have beaten Premier League opposition twice already in this year’s competition, pushing Watford and Newcastle United to the verge.

However, the Chelsea game is a whole different ball game, and with a crowd of more than 3,000 expected, Robinson does not want his charges to hide.

He said: “I am a big believer in dealing with the reality of the situation. People are saying Chelsea is just a game, you’ve got to treat it like any other – I know they are trying to give the lads confidence, but if we treat it like any other game we could get hurt.

“Chelsea are one of the best teams in Europe, they expect to beat the best in Europe.

“We have to make sure we play in a way that can upset them, play in areas they are not comfortable.

“We have to take the game to them, definitely not sit in and hope for the best, because it will only be a matter of time before they score, and then we’d have to change the game strategy.

“Chelsea dominate sides and they are a very well-organised side, they could have beaten Huddersfield 10-0 [third round, they won 6-1], and Manchester United 8-0 [fourth round, they won 5-1].

He added: “If we sit back, I think the fans would be disappointed. We’ve grown a fan base with the wins over Watford and Newcastle, and if they did not see us have a go, then I think they would be disappointed.”

Robinson is not from the school of thought that you must take one game at a time – instead he has already watched Reading in action.

He said: “I went to watch the Wolves v Reading tie [0-3] last week, and that sent out a good message to the lads that I am not thinking it is all over.

“It said I wanted to check out the opposition should we beat Chelsea. The lads appreciated that.

“In terms of the training, we’re only thinking about the Chelsea game, but I am also looking forward to the future.”