Chelsea return to continental competition on Thursday night, returning to European football for the first time in 18 months after qualifying for the UEFA Conference League at the end of last season. The Blues face Swiss side Servette in the first leg of their play-off tie at Stamford Bridge, with victory in both games securing them a place in the group stages of the competition.
Pay particular attention to the following five things:
The big news in the squad is the return of captain Reece James, who has recovered from a spate of injuries towards the end of pre-season. Notable absentees include Wesley Fofana, Ben Chilwell and Raheem Sterling. Fofana is being treated cautiously after sitting out last season with a cruciate ligament injury. At the same time, Chilwell and Sterling’s absences are down to manager Enzo Maresca’s decision, suggesting he may not consider them part of his long-term plans.
New signing João Félix is also unavailable for this match as he was not registered for the squad list in time. In addition, Tosin Adarabioyo was mistakenly left off the original squad list but has since been added.
Enzo Maresca has been quick to fix the weaknesses in his squad, but Robert Sánchez has largely gone unnoticed. Despite a series of lackluster performances, Sánchez retained his place in the lineup for the loss to Manchester City, drawing criticism from fans after another subpar performance. Thursday’s game offers summer signing Filip Jørgensen a chance to challenge for the No. 1 spot. Maresca’s choice of goalkeeper could provide insight into his preferred option, at least in the short term.
With some players still working to return to full fitness, there could be changes to the starting line-up. One of Axel Disasi or Tosin Adarabioyo is expected to play alongside Levi Colwill in central defence. Marc Cucurella is unlikely to start due to an injury scare on Sunday. If Reece James is fully fit, he could start at right-back. The choice for the left-back position is between Malo Gusto and Renato Veiga.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall could make his first official start for Chelsea. Winger Noni Madueke was a substitute on Sunday and could also get his chance in this game. Pedro Neto, who made his first appearance for the Blues against Manchester City, is a candidate for the starting line-up on the left wing. Marc Guiu could get his first official start as part of efforts to improve player fitness.
Maresca is expected to stick to his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation, which allows players to switch positions, as seen on Sunday. With it being important to get a good result in this play-off match, a strong line-up is expected, although the Italian coach will be careful about the fitness of the players.
