Cole Palmer returns to Chelsea’s starting lineup to face Legia Warsaw in the Conference League quarter-finals this evening.
Chelsea take on the Polish side in the first leg on Thursday night and manager Enzo Maresca has recalled star man Palmer, with the third-tier European competition now the Blues’ sole hope of silverware this season.
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Palmer, Nicolas Jackson and Levi Colwill were all named on the bench for Sunday’s 0-0 draw at Brentford in the Premier League, but only Palmer is back in the team tonight. The England forward will be keen to end his long goal drought, having failed to score since the 2-2 draw against Bournemouth on January 14.
Filip Jorgensen starts in goal ahead of Robert Sanchez, while in defence there is game time for fringe players such as academy product Josh Acheampong and centre-back Benoit Badiashile.
Left-back Marc Cucurella, also rested against Brentford, is a favourite of Maresca’s but stays on the bench in Poland.
Winger Tyrique George, another academy graduate, has been given plenty of opportunities to impress in this season’s Conference League and is handed more minutes, with captain Reece James in midfield again as Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo are both rested.
Injured defender Wesley Fofana is not registered for the Conference League and will miss the rest of the season anyway, while Romeo Lavia, Marc Guiu and Omari Kellyman join him in the treatment room. Mykhailo Mudryk remains unavailable.
Chelsea XI: Jorgensen, Acheampong, Tosin, Badiashile, Gusto, James, Dewsbury-Hall, George, Palmer, Sancho, Nkunku
Subs: Sanchez, Colwill, Chalobah, Cucurella, Caicedo, Amougou, Rak-Sakyi, Fernandez, Neto, Madueke, Jackson, Mheuka
Injured: Fofana, Lavia, Guiu, Kellyman
Unavailable: Mudryk
Time and date: 5.45pm BST on Thursday April 10, 2025
Venue: Marshall Józef Piłsudski Legia Warsaw Stadium, Warsaw
TV channel and live stream: TNT Sports 1 and Discovery+
