Enzo Maresca has opted for a strong Chelsea team for tonight’s Conference League quarter-final second-leg meeting with Legia Warsaw.
The Blues are all but through to the last four after a comfortable 3-0 victory last week in Poland, where Tyrique George scored his first Chelsea goal in the second half before a Noni Madueke brace off the bench opened up a commanding aggregate lead.
George and fellow academy graduate Josh Acheampong had been expected to start again at Stamford Bridge this evening but are dropped in favour of Reece James and Jadon Sancho. Filip Jorgensen, Benoit Badiashile, Christopher Nkunku and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall return to the lineup.
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James' workload continues to be managed, and after the captain was an unused substitute in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Ipswich in the Premier League, he comes back into the side.
Beyond that, Maresca could hand further opportunities to young players on the fringes of his team. January signing Mathis Amougou came off the bench in the first leg and will be hoping to make his first Chelsea start in midfield.
Young striker Shim Mheuka, also out of Chelsea’s Cobham academy, is another who has featured increasingly regularly in Europe this season, but he starts on the bench alongside Genesis Antwi, Mathis Amougou, Landon Emenalo, Sam Rak-Sakyi, and George.
Marc Guiu and Wesley Fofana remain out injured, though the latter is not registered in Chelsea’s European squad in any case. Nor is Romeo Lavia, who has returned to training this week.
Chelsea XI: Jorgensen, Acheampong, Tosin, Badiashile, Cucurella, James, Dewsbury-Hall, Sancho, Palmer, Nkunku, Jackson
Subs: Bergstrom, Sanchez, Antwi, Gusto, Amougou, Emenalo, Rak-Sakyi, Walsh, George, Neto, Madueke, Mheuka
Injured: Fofana, Guiu, Kellyman
Unavailable: Mudryk
Time and date: 8pm BST on Thursday April 17, 2025
Venue: Stamford Bridge, London
Referee: Alejandro Hernandez (ESP)
How to watch: TNT Sports
