Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has left Reece James and Cole Palmer on the bench against FC Copenhagen in the Conference League tonight.
Chelsea lead 2-1 on aggregate heading into this evening’s last-16 second leg at Stamford Bridge after Reece James and Enzo Fernandez were both on target in the Danish capital last week.
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Captain James and Palmer both trained at Cobham on Wednesday. James was ill against Leicester at the weekend but appears fit now, while Palmer was also unwell that day amid a bug in the Blues camp but played in the match and missed a penalty.
Speaking on Wednesday afternoon, Maresca said: “Cole, Reece and Christopher [Nkunku] have been in the session. Yesterday, they were not there. Today, they were all here and are all back.
“Yesterday they were not even here [at the training ground], all of them. Today they trained with us. We’ll see for tomorrow if we’re going to use them.”
Despite being selected to speak in the pre-match press conference on Wednesday, fefender Levi Colwill is named among the substitutes.
Malo Gusto will not be involved, having missed the Leicester game after being forced off early in the first leg against Copenhagen.
Romeo Lavia is awaiting his first appearance since mid-January, having returned to the matchday squad but played no part in Sunday’s 1-0 Premier League win against Leicester. However, he is not part of the Blues’ Conference League squad.
Academy players Harrison Murray-Campbell, 18, Genesis Antwi, 17, Reggie Walsh, 16, and Shim Mheuka, 17, all joined the first team for training on Wednesday and are named on the bench too.
Chelsea are still without the likes of Nicolas Jackson, Noni Madueke and Marc Guiu due to injury, while Mykhailo Mudryk remains unavailable.
Chelsea starting lineup vs Copenhagen
Chelsea XI: Jorgensen; Acheampong, Chalobah, Tosin, Badiashile; Caicedo, Fernandez (c); George, Dewsbury-Hall, Sancho; Neto
Subs: Sanchez, Bergstrom, James, Murray-Campbell, Antwi, Colwill, Cucurella, Amougou, Walsh, Palmer, Nkunku, Mheuka
