Chelsea have excluded Cole Palmer, Romeo Lavia, and Wesley Fofana from their squad for the UEFA Europa Conference League.
The Blues find themselves in Europe’s third-tier competition this season after a disappointing campaign under Mauricio Pochettino last term.
Enzo Maresca’s side secured their place in the group stages with a tense 3-2 aggregate victory over Servette last week.
After a breakthrough year in which he established himself as a key figure in Chelsea’s midfield and earned senior England international status, there are concerns about Palmer’s workload.
Fofana and Lavia, meanwhile, have struggled with injuries, and Maresca is adopting a cautious approach with these two players who are expected to play significant roles in his plans.
Chelsea will have the opportunity to make a maximum of three changes to their squad for the knockout phase, if they advance, when they re-submit their squad on February 6, 2025.
In other news, Chelsea experienced further upheaval both on and off the pitch this summer.
On Thursday, it was announced that Chief Executive Chris Jurasek had departed the club to be replaced by Jason Gannon.
Jurasek will return to Clearlake Capital, the co-controlling owners of Chelsea, after just over a year in his role at the club.
“I am incredibly proud to have led this historic football club into its next chapter,” Jurasek said.
“We have accomplished the task of building a team both on and off the pitch that means the club is well-positioned for long-term success.”
Chelsea squad for UEFA Europa Conference League:
Goalkeepers: Robert Sanchez, Filip Jorgensen, Lucas Bergstrom
Defenders: Axel Disasi, Marc Cucurella, Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoit Badiashile, Levi Colwill, Reece James, Malo Gusto, Josh Acheampong, Renato Veiga
Midfielders: Enzo Fernandez, Noni Madueke, Carney Chukwuemeka, Christopher Nkunku, Jadon Sancho, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Moises Caicedo, Cesare Casadei, Tyrique George, Kiano Dyer
Attackers: Pedro Neto, Mykhailo Mudryk, Joao Felix, Nicolas Jackson, Marc Guiu
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