Chelsea will be looking to put Sunday’s defeat to Liverpool behind them later this week as they travel to Athens to take on Panathinaikos.
The Blues take on the Greek side in their second Conference League league phase game of the season. Last time out, the west Londoners had far too much for Gent at Stamford Bridge, but this looks set to be a more difficult test.
In the games away from the Premier League, Enzo Maresca has tended to make wholesale changes to his big squad. That could well be the case again on Thursday night as the Blues look to block out a hostile atmosphere in Athens.
Filip Jorgensen is expected to return to the Chelsea side should he be passed fit to take on Panathinaikos. The 22-year-old goalkeeper missed the Blues’ defeat at Anfield at the weekend with the club following the FA’s protocol regarding concussion, football.london understands, after he collided with one of his own teammates in Denmark Under-21s’ win against Finland the week before.
Jorgensen is almost at the end of the FA and Premier League’s six-day concussion protocol to complete the return phase. It is understood the Dane has displayed no adverse symptoms since returning to the club last week.
Reece James returned to action at the weekend with a surprise inclusion in the starting line-up against Liverpool. The captain, however, is not expected to take part against Panathinaikos – as per Maresca’s own admission last week.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Friday, the Italian said on James: “It is complicated when you get injury, injury, injury again. It’s not easy so you are always looking for a solution.
“Probably the solution with Reece is the same solution we are using with Romeo [Lavia] and Wes [Fofana] in terms of using them just once a week, in one game, because probably in this moment, for different reasons, Reece’s body cannot play twice a week.
“One of the solutions is probably to try and manage him in the same way we are doing with Wes and Romeo.”
Axel Disasi could slot in at right-back, as he does in several cup games already this season. Malo Gusto is also an option but the Frenchman could be given a rest after a fierce encounter with Liverpool on Sunday.
In the centre of defence, Tosin Adarabioyo could continue after featuring against Liverpool. It was far from his best showing against the Reds, but from previous evidence, it looks as if Tosin will be used repeatedly in the Conference League.
Tosin could partner Benoit Badiashile, who came on at Anfield. Levi Colwill is expected to be given a rest while Wesley Fofana, who missed Sunday’s defeat in Liverpool through suspension, is not included in the Chelsea Conference League squad.
Marc Cucurella was also suspended for the Liverpool game but the Spaniard is expected to be rested once again on Thursday. Renato Veiga could be given the nod on the left-hand side of defence as he looks to continue his impressive form in Europe.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall could come back into the side alongside Cesare Casadei. Both midfielders started and impressed against Gent earlier in the month and are expected to get more minutes under their belt after not featuring in Liverpool.
Pedro Neto impressed in his 45-minute cameo at Anfield and the Portugal international is set to start in Greece. The likelihood is that Neto would have started anyway in Athens but his performance against the Reds was that impressive that Maresca will want to use him again and protect Noni Madueke.
Joao Felix has not started much for Chelsea at all since returning to the club – to be precise, the 24-year-old has been used from the start only twice. Felix could be used in the No.10 role, the Cole Palmer role, with the latter not included in the squad.
If Mykhailo Mudryk is fit and available – something we are expected to hear about later in the week – then he could well come back into the side. Mudryk was left out of Chelsea’s 20-man travelling squad at Anfield for unknown reasons. Either way, supporters will be hoping the Ukraine international is on the plane to Greece.
Nicolas Jackson is set to be handed a rest with Christopher Nkunku expected to replace Chelsea’s No.15. Jackson scored his fifth goal of the season against Liverpool at the weekend but may be given a rest ahead of the Blues’ Premier League meeting with Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon.
Possible Chelsea line-up: Jorgensen; Disasi, Tosin, Badiashile, Veiga; Dewsbury-Hall, Casadei; Neto, Felix, Mudryk; Nkunku.
