Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is set to field a heavily rotated line-up for Thursday’s Europa Conference League clash against Kazakhstan heavyweights Astana.
The Blues are already on course to secure automatic qualification to the knockout rounds, having claimed four wins from four games to sit at the Conference League summit.
Maresca has decided to use the opportunity to rest key players ahead of Sunday’s crucial Premier League London derby against Brentford at Stamford Bridge.
The lengthy eight-hour flight and a congested schedule have given Maresca the licence to prioritise domestic commitments.
As a result, he has placed his faith in a youthful Chelsea squad featuring several academy players eager to leave a lasting impression on the manager on the European stage.
“Some of [the senior players] are going to be here [at Cobham], and some of them are going to fly with us,” Maresca said on Wednesday (via Chelsea’s official website).
“More or less, we try to manage in the same way we have done until today. We have many young players, 17 players with us, and the rest are going to be here working.
“I think we are 11 or 12 players [staying in London] and eight or nine flying.”
Chelsea’s squad is notably thin on experienced options. Midfielder Cesare Casadei, who has featured in all four Conference League games so far, is suspended after receiving a red card against Heidenheim.
Meanwhile, several first-team regulars, including Reece James, Wesley Fofana, and Romeo Lavia, remain sidelined with injuries.
Others, like Mykhailo Mudryk, Christopher Nkunku, and Enzo Fernandez, have been rested to prepare for upcoming fixtures.
A number of academy starlets, including midfielder Samuel Rak-Sakyi and winger Tyrique George, have joined the senior squad.
The most eye-catching addition is defender Josh Acheampong, who returns to the fold after a three-month exile over a contract dispute.
Predicted Chelsea XI
(4-2-3-1): Filip Jorgensen; Josh Acheampong, Axel Disasi, Tosin Adarabioyo, Renato Veiga; Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Carney Chukwuemeka; Tyrique George, Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto; Marc Guiu.
