Chelsea field a much-changed team as expected for today’s Conference League clash with Astana in Kazakhstan.
The Blues have won all four of their group stage games in the competition so far and sit top of the table, giving manager Enzo Maresca licence to prioritise Sunday’s Premier League meeting with west London Brentford by sparing key players the eight-hour flight.
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“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. “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.”
Maresca confirmed that young full-back Josh Acheampong will be among the academy graduates involved against Astana and he starts at right-back, bringing to an end his near-three-month exile over a contract dispute.
Samuel Rak-Sakyi starts in midfield, while Tyrique George starts out wide and Marc Guiu leads the line.
Midfielder Cesare Casadei, who has featured in all four Conference League group games so far, is suspended after his late sending off against Heidenheim last month.
Starting XI: Jorgensen; Acheampong, Disasi, Tosin, Veiga; Rak-Sakyi, Dewsbury-Hall, Chukwuemeka; Neto, Guiu, George
Subs: Bergstrom, Merrick, Dyer, Vale, Olise, Ampah, Murray-Campbell, Wilson, Mheuka
Time and date: 3:30pm GMT on Thursday December 12, 2024
Venue: Almaty Central Stadium
TV channel and live stream: TNT Sports
