Chelsea have left out three key players from their squad for the Conference League group stage.
Despite qualifying for the competition by finishing sixth in the Premier League last season under Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea will be without Cole Palmer, Romeo Lavia, and Wesley Fofana for the league phase.
While Palmer’s exclusion is not related to any potential issue, Lavia and Fofana have recently returned from long-term injuries.
It is believed that Chelsea intends to rest key players as they prepare for a long season ahead, including participation in the Club World Cup after the domestic season concludes.
Chelsea will face Gent, Heidenheim, Astana, Shamrock Rovers, Panathinaikos, and Noah in their group, playing six matches in total, three at home and three away.
While the squad has a limit of 25 players on List A, an unlimited number of players can be named on List B, which includes younger players like defender Levi Colwill.
Lavia, eligible for List B due to his age, was not selected, while other senior members, including Jadon Sancho, Pedro Neto, and Joao Felix, made the List A cut.
The Blues made significant changes during the summer transfer window, offloading players like Ian Maatsen and Conor Gallagher, while Raheem Sterling left on loan to Arsenal.
Ben Chilwell failed to secure a move and so was left out of the squad. Teams can resubmit their squads before the knockout stages.
In the Conference League, the top eight teams progress to the last-16, while teams placed ninth to 24th will enter the play-offs.
Article updated 2 months ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
