Enzo Maresca will use the UEFA Europa Conference League fixture between Chelsea and Heidenheim to refresh his selection, although there are some notable absentees.
Chelsea made a big decision to exclude star man Cole Palmer from their Conference League squad during the league phase, and so far, that call has not come back to bite them. The Blues have been rampant this season in this competition, as their most recent performance saw them put eight goals past a hapless FC Noah.
Ahead of this game in Germany against Bundesliga surprisers Heidenheim, Enzo Marseca spoke about his team selection and the importance of this competition in the context of Chelsea’s season while confirming the absence of key duo for this midweek trip to Germany.
Malo Gusto and Pedro Neto were both absent ahead of the trip to Leicester City at the weekend. The duo returned to training, with Gusto recovering from an illness that caused him to miss the Premier League game. However, Maresca confirmed that the duo will not be risked in midweek, although he suggested they will be fit for the weekend.
Maresca said in his pre-match press conference, “Both have trained with us,’ he said. ‘We don’t take any risks for tomorrow’s game but I think both should be available for Sunday’s game [against Aston Villa].”
On the competition as a whole, Maresca insisted he enjoys the occasion and that the team must be ready for all games in different competitions. He continued, “I enjoy every game in this competition, knowing that every club tries to make it their big game. The issue for us can be that if we are not ready mentally and we underestimate a team, they can hurt us. So we need to be ready.”
“It’s an important competition, a European competition. Since we started, we have tried to share minutes with all the players in the squad. In some of the [Conference League] games, we have also used some young players. So we’ll see. In this moment, it’s like this, and hopefully we can continue in this way.”
In terms of team selection, Maresca is once again expected to shuffle his pack while looking to retain a few key cogs to balance his changes. The backline might undergo a revamp for this trip to Heidenheim, as only Benoit Badiashile might keep his place in the heart of the defence.
Axel Disasi, Tosin Adarabioyo, and Renato Veiga are expected to join Badiashile in that backline, while Filip Jorgensen should replace Robert Sanchez in goal. Moises Caicedo could retain his place at the base of the Chelsea midfield, as he will have to manage that position on his own. This is based on the formation Maresca tends to use in Conference League games this season.
Marc Guiu will lead the line, and he will have ample support from behind and in wide areas. Christopher Nkunku and Joao Felix will start in those advanced midfield roles, while teenager Tyrique George will be given another chance to impress out wide off the bench, although Mykhailo Mudryk will begin on the left wing.
Predicted Chelsea XI: Jorgensen; Disasi, Adarabioyo, Badiashile, Veiga; Caicedo; George, Nkunku, Felix, Mudryk; Guiu
